Getting results: Coaching, training or both?

Can you measure for training and coaching results?

Many people who attest to the benefits of coaching both personally and professionally, have only subjective measures as proof. Additionally, some studies have revealed that coaching success claims are not reliable if inadequate measurement tools were used[1]. Although many HR professionals currently see coaching as necessary to retention and job satisfaction, decision-makers continue to espouse the belief that coaching is primarily for problem employees which not surprisingly leads to resistance from employees subjected to this type of forced “performance improvement”. ?

It is common to find employers who believe work performance and attitude issues can be solved by training alone, but the actual success metrics of training with this approach are low. BNP called this the “mistake-blame-train-defend” cycle of throwing training at a problem and then trying to defend the expense when results are not visible. Employees who ask for training, or who are trained as a cohort typically learn more and apply their learning more enthusiastically to the job, than those who experience either coaching or training as punishment for poor performance.

Aligning individual and company needs and wants

To avoid these negative coaching and training mishaps and their resultant poor return on investment, not only is it important to provide the training employees need and want, but to measure it in ways that demonstrate satisfaction, increased knowledge, application to workplace behavior, and improved business results. These four criteria for training success were first articulated by Kirkpatrick in 1954 ?and are still considered one of the foundational measurement tools for training effectiveness in the L&D industry.

Since Kirkpatrick’s training effectiveness publications, many things have changed in workplaces. So too have expectations employers and employees have about workplace training results. Survey Monkey found that 84% of employees rated job training as important for them and 74% said they were willing to learn outside of work hours. However only 58% stated that in-house training was effective. This points to firstly the problem of employers not clearly articulating what they need or want to see change, secondly not consulting employees about what they want to learn and how, and thirdly a lack of understanding about how people learn at work and what changes behavior.

Could it be that training and coaching are two parts of a whole? Using the metaphor of the human body, I propose that knowing what, why and how to do something, the domain of training, could be considered the right hand of learning at work, whereas personal awareness about inner resistance and individual strengths could be considered the left hand. A developmentally solid program and learning arc – either virtual, online or blended - can provide an important context and reference point for workplace learning. ?But to apply it sustainably to one’s job requires coaching, which specializes in identifying both resistance and opportunity for transformation at a deeply personal level within a safe, supportive context.

To be better informed about what works best for your employment context, consider these findings from several peer reviewed studies about the effectiveness of coaching and training both independent of each other and combined.

Research on coaching, training, and both combined

According to the authors of The Grand Challenge for Research on the Future of Coaching, successful coaching is the result of:

·????????satisfaction with the coach/client relationship and the processes used together with the

·????????client’s intention to act on and expect specific results from coaching

The same research found measurable coaching results in the areas of:

·????????improved sense of wellbeing

·????????more coherent and specific personal vision of desired personal results

·????????improved quality of life (ex. decreased pain, improved relationships, behaviour change)

BNP suggests the following criteria for successful training outcomes:

1.??????????????????Obtain managerial support

2.??????????????????Select a small team to identify criteria for success and training topics, share successes and allocate measurement tools and responsibilities

3.??????????????????Define the training program, methods, and techniques as well as how outcomes will be measured over time

4.??????????????????Begin training program in small pilot groups and make small changes until the program is replicable

5.??????????????????Obtain ongoing feedback and ensure program is enjoyable and practical for participants

6.??????????????????Duplicate successful training models

7.??????????????????Develop a training schedule and deliver training at regular, predictable intervals

Deborah Bright & Anita Crockett (2012) found from their study with 115 workers who had completed a four-hour traditional classroom training, that just one 30-minute individual coaching session following training had significant results sustained over time.

[Participants]…showed a significant difference in their ability to identify solutions to issues that positively impacted their work to be done, their effectiveness when being criticized, their heightened ability to deal with changing priorities and more effectively dealing with tight deadlines and turning around assignments. The experimental group also showed an increased adeptness for articulating ideas more clearly and concisely when compared to the control group[2].

In a study by Losch S, Traut-Mattausch E, Mühlberger MD, Jonas E. (2016)[3], participants “were assigned to an individual coaching, a self-coaching, a group training, or a control group condition.” Their findings showed:

·????????Training was most successful in providing acquisition of relevant knowledge

·????????Individual coaching and group training were effective in decreasing procrastination and increasing desire to achieve goals

·????????Self-coaching exercises without the support of a coach did not result in change to goal achievement

·????????Individual coaching had the highest satisfaction rate and was most effective in helping participants achieve the goals they had set for themselves. Additionally, the inspirational leadership model provided by the coach increased participants’ sense of autonomy and intrinsic motivation.

Conclusions

From their study, authors concluded that human resource development should be appropriate to the expected outcome. For general and procedural knowledge about job tasks, training alone is sufficient. This addresses two of Kirkpatrick's criteria: satisfaction and knowledge. To increase engagement and motivation for change of behaviour, individual coaching can bring desired results and motivation to improve. This addresses the part of Kirpatrick's model which deals with desired changes to workplace behaviour.

To conclude, employees need both the right and left hands of training and coaching to show visible, measurable improvements to their body of work. For a combination of increased knowledge, motivation to achieve goals, and actual goal achievement as demonstrated through change of behaviour and improved business results, a combination of training and coaching is most likely to bring about the best results.

Want to discuss your training and coaching needs and find the combination that best suits you? Send me a LinkedIn message!

?About the author

Dr. Marie Gervais is the author of?“The Spirit of Work: Timeless Wisdom, Current Realities”. She holds a PhD in Culture and Learning in the Workplace and is a Certified Conscious EFT Practitioner and Certified Emotional Success Coach. Her leadership training for industry has been used successfully with 500+ managers. Her transformational coaching has launched over 100 managers and business owners to career and business success. Dr. Gervais hosts the Culture and Leadership Connections podcast, which features interviews with diverse leaders in a variety of professions. Her publications span industry and academic journals on topics including the future of work, workplace communication, productivity and psychological safety in the workplace. Her online courses and products are used by managers and career developers around the world.?

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[1] See for example: Perspectives on effective coaching by those who have been coached, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijtd.12098 and Coaching effectiveness survey instruments: Taking stock of measuring the immeasurable. ?https://instituteofcoaching.org/resources/coaching-effectiveness-survey-instruments-taking-stock-measuring-immeasurable

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[2] Deborah Bright & Anita Crockett (2012). Training combined with coaching can make a significant difference in job performance and satisfaction, Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 5:1, 4-21, DOI: 10.1080/17521882.2011.648332

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[3] Losch S, Traut-Mattausch E, Mühlberger MD, Jonas E. Comparing the Effectiveness of Individual Coaching, Self-Coaching, and Group Training: How Leadership Makes the Difference. Front Psychol. 2016 May 3;7:629. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00629. PMID: 27199857; PMCID: PMC4853380.

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