About evaluation and ROI: Mary Beth talked about her view of what was important in being able to conduct ROI as the selected coaching evaluation method. This maps well with any client organization’s concerns about whether their investment was successful and worth it. The questions she asks at the beginning of the engagement provide the context for understanding ‘success’ and ‘satisfaction’. They also provide the content for coaching focus and the basis of designing evaluation efforts. This ‘expert estimation’ approach seems to be her version of the Phillips ROI Methodology™ and Metrics That Matter™ approach now implemented by the Corporate Executive Board. As long as the client is willing to legitimize a conservative estimation of attributed coaching effect and accept the lack of precision, this approach can work well.
Other approaches, such as Brinkerhoff’s Success Case Study Method, can be used in multiple client contexts. In fact, there are plenty of evaluation methods to choose from, each with its pros and cons. In my view, and consistent with Phillips and Phillips, part of the contracting conversations should focus on evaluation issues as an integral part of the engagement. This will entail determining what success will look like; when, how and by whom the data will be gathered; who will receive what readouts and when. In other words, there will be an evaluation plan to consider, discuss, align on and implement in tandem with the coaching.
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