Measuring Qualitative Outcomes Quantitatively

Often there is a focus on bottom line impact or dollar value with coaching.  For a business this makes sense when deciding to fund or continue funding coaching.  At the same time, the research on coaching explores the qualitative benefits and even discusses the negative impact of a single focus on the dollar value.  Now consider a different perspective: to achieve quantitative measures often means achieving qualitative measures.  This post continues the blog series from last week with more on this consideration.

• Qualitative Measures
  • Impact
• Qualitative ⇒ Quantitative
  • Achieving qualitative measures directly impacts the ability to achieve quantitative measures. For example, think about the soft skills required to get the desired result.
• Define specific quantitative goals.
  • This may include sales numbers, productivity, employee engagement metrics, or turnover costs.
• List skills and behaviors to achieve the goals
  • Soft skills that impact the quantitative outcomes listed above include interpersonal skills, leadership ability, motivation, effective goals setting, decision making, strategizing, action planning, accountability, public speaking, negotiation, conflict management, and communication.
• Process
  • The steps to apply qualitative skills development to quantitative measures is as follows:

1. List desired skill development areas.
2. Determine both current and desired levels.
3. Quantify the percentage of responsibility soft skills have for achieving specific quantitative numbers.
4. During the coaching, explore the reasons for the current level.*
5. Create awareness of the benefits to change.
6. Define the internal motivation of the individual.
7. Strategize and plan the process.
8. Measure new levels and quantify the change in specific numbers, then apply the percentage of responsibility for achievement.

*Beliefs  ⇒ Behaviors  ⇒  Outcomes

In a coaching relationship, a coach will explore the beliefs, behaviors, and outcomes of the skills clients want to develop to support their forward progress.

When measuring the efficacy of coaching, track the development of appropriate soft skills as they relate to the dollar value impact for a quantified ROI.