Category: Coaching

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Coaching Leadership Portfolio Management

Is Your Coaching Actually Working? Stop Wasting Money and Start Seeing ROI with Targeted Interventions

Let’s be honest. Coaching can be expensive. And sometimes, it feels like you’re throwing money at a problem without seeing any real change. You’ve got well-meaning conversations, maybe even some nice-looking documents called “coaching plans,” but are they actually driving results? Are they making a difference to your team’s performance, your bottom line, or your organisational culture? If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. Many leaders struggle to demonstrate the ROI of their coaching efforts. They invest in coaching, hoping for the best, but lack the tools to measure its impact effectively. The missing piece? Targeted interventions.

The International Coaching Federation estimates that over two billion US dollars annually is invested in workplace coaching worldwide

(Cannon-Bowers JA, Bowers CA, Carlson CE, Doherty SL, Evans J, Hall J. Workplace coaching: a meta-analysis and recommendations for advancing the science of coaching)

Why Coaching Plans Matter (But Targeted Interventions Matter More)

A coaching plan should be a roadmap for development. It should provide clarity, focus, and a framework for meaningful conversations. But without a clear focus on targeted interventions, it’s like having a map without a destination. It’s just a document. A genuinely effective coaching plan that justifies the investment must detail how the coach will support the coachee, what specific actions they will take, and what the expected outcomes are. Here’s why focusing on targeted interventions is crucial:

  • Targeted Development – Hitting the Mark: A coaching plan should pinpoint specific growth areas tied directly to the organisation’s needs. It’s not enough to say “improve leadership.” We need to identify what kind of leadership skills need to be developed and how that will contribute to business goals. Targeted interventions allow us to address those specific needs directly.
  • Structured Conversations and Strategic Interventions – Driving Real Change: The plan needs to outline the specific interventions the coach will use. The agreement on intervention actions is where the rubber meets the road. These might include mentoring, training, shadowing, facilitating specific exercises, or providing targeted feedback. These interventions are the active ingredients of effective coaching.
  • Progress Tracking – Showing Real ROI, Not Just Good Intentions: Tracking interventions lets you see what’s working and what’s not. It’s how you measure the impact of your coaching and demonstrate its value to the bottom line. This data-driven approach is essential for justifying coaching investments and proving ROI.
  • Accountability – For Everyone Involved, and for the Interventions Themselves: A well-defined plan with tracked interventions keeps both the coach and the coachee accountable. It sets clear expectations and provides a record of the coach’s actions and support. It also allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions themselves.

Leveraging Coaching Models – The Framework for Success

Established coaching models give you a structured way to approach coaching conversations and choose the most effective targeted interventions. Here are a few key models:

  • GROW Model: This widely used model focuses on goal setting, examining current reality, exploring options, and establishing the will to act. In the context of targeted interventions, GROW helps ensure interventions are directly linked to the coachee’s goals and the reality of their situation, making the chosen actions highly relevant and impactful. (GROW stands for Goal, Reality, Options, Will).
  • OSKAR Model: OSKAR builds on solution-focused principles, emphasising desired Outcomes, understanding the current situation, exploring Solutions and Options, knowing the Key Actions, and Reviewing progress. OSKAR’s emphasis on desired outcomes and solutions helps coaches and coachees collaboratively identify targeted interventions that are future-focused and designed to move towards specific, positive results. (OSKAR stands for Outcome, Situation, Knowledge, Affirm + Action, Review).
  • FUEL Model: This model emphasises a conversational approach focused on Framing the conversation, Understanding the current situation, Exploring desired outcomes and generating ideas, and Laying out an action plan. The FUEL model’s emphasis on exploration and action planning directly supports identifying and implementing targeted interventions. By ‘Exploring’ options within the FUEL framework, coaches and coachees can collaboratively determine the most relevant and impactful targeted interventions to include in their action plan (‘Lay out a plan’). (FUEL stands for Frame, Understand, Explore, Layout plan).
Sample coaching plan, based on the GROW model

A coaching plan that delivers tangible results needs more than just good intentions. Here’s what goes into it:

  • Clear, Measurable Objectives – Tied to Business Outcomes: (As before, but emphasise the need for quantifiable outcomes tied to interventions and business goals)3
  • Context & Background – The Business Challenge: (As before, but emphasise the link to business challenges and how coaching can address them)
  • Strengths & Areas for Development – Linked to Targeted Interventions: (As before, but emphasise how these relate to specific interventions and business needs)
  • Strategies & Actions, including Specific, Targeted Interventions: This is the heart of the matter. Detail the exact, targeted interventions the coach will use. For example, instead of “Improve communication skills,” the plan might say, “Coachee will participate in a role-playing exercise focused on difficult conversations, followed by targeted feedback from the coach on active listening and assertive communication techniques.”
  • Timeline & Milestones – Linked to Intervention Completion and Business Impact: (As before, but tie milestones to intervention completion and their expected impact on business outcomes)
  • Metrics & Measurement – Proving the ROI of Targeted Interventions: This is how you prove Return On Investment. How will you measure the success of the specific, targeted interventions? If the goal is improved communication, the metric might be “360-degree feedback scores” or “reduction in team conflict incidents.”
  • Review & Feedback – On Targeted Interventions and Their Contribution to Business Goals: Regularly review progress and specifically discuss the effectiveness of the targeted interventions. Are they having the desired impact on both the individual and the business? Do they need to be adjusted?

Download our sample coaching plan in Word format

The Coaching Plan Advantage: Driving Real ROI and Demonstrating Value

In today’s business climate, being able to design and use coaching plans with targeted interventions and measurable ROI is a must-have skill for any leader. It’s how you show the value of coaching and drive demonstrable business results. It’s how you move beyond “feel-good” conversations and demonstrate a tangible return on investment that justifies the cost and earns you recognition as a leader who gets results.

Conclusion:

Coaching plans, when they include specific, targeted interventions and measurable outcomes directly linked to business goals, are powerful tools for driving growth and achieving demonstrable and valuable business results. They’re not just about having a chat; they’re about making a difference that matters. So, if you’re tired of wondering whether your coaching is actually working, focus on targeted interventions. It’s the key to unlocking real ROI and transforming your coaching from a cost to a valuable investment.

(Connect with me on LinkedIn to discuss coaching and leadership!)

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Change Management Coaching Delivery Leadership Product Management

Why “Why” Matters More Than the Plan Itself

We’ve all been there. You spend weeks meticulously crafting a detailed plan, complete with timelines, milestones, and every conceivable contingency. It’s a comprehensive document, a testament to your planning prowess. But then, reality hits. Things change. Unexpected challenges arise. And suddenly, that carefully laid-out plan feels more like a straightjacket than a guide.

This is a common pitfall. We often get so caught up in the act of planning – the spreadsheets, the Gantt charts, the endless meetings – that we lose sight of the bigger picture. We treat the plan as an end in itself, rather than a means to an end. This can lead to a rigid approach that fails to adapt to changing circumstances, rendering the plan ineffective.

But what if I told you that the most critical part of any plan isn’t the plan itself, but the ‘why’ behind it? Understanding the ‘why’ empowers you, giving you a sense of control and confidence in your planning process.

Understanding the “Why”

Before you dive into the nitty-gritty of timelines and deliverables, take a step back. Ask yourself:

What are we trying to achieve with this plan?

  • Is it to inform stakeholders and enable governance, providing transparency and ensuring alignment with broader organisational objectives?
  • Is it to coordinate delivery teams, ensuring no gaps and that dependencies are managed and driving smooth execution?
  • Is it to enable a team to align and collaborate, fostering a shared understanding of goals and responsibilities?
  • Is it to help a leader and contributor achieve personal development goals, outlining clear objectives and action steps for growth?
  • Is it for a coach to provide a structured approach to achieving growth outcomes for the coachee, outlining a clear framework for development and progress tracking?

What does success look like?

  • How will we know if we’ve achieved our goals?
  • What key metrics will we track?

What are the potential roadblocks?

  • What could go wrong?
  • How can we minimise these risks?

By clearly defining your plan’s purpose and desired outcomes, which are rooted in the ‘why ‘, you create a strong foundation for success. You’re not just creating a document; you’re setting a direction.

Plans: More Than Just a Document

It’s easy to fall into the trap of treating a plan as an isolated document, a static blueprint to be followed religiously. However, effective plans are more than just a collection of tasks and deadlines. They exist within a broader context, interconnected with other crucial elements that drive outcomes. A plan should be viewed as a dynamic tool that guides actions and decisions.

Think of a plan as a single piece of a complex puzzle. It must fit seamlessly with other key pieces to create a complete picture. These interconnected elements might include:

  • Strategic Objectives: Your plan must align with your team or organisation’s overall strategic direction. Displaying when these objectives are achieved in your plan provides an easily accessible link between your actions and the overall goal.
  • Detailed plans: It is essential to communicate and coordinate areas such as delivery planning, resourcing, communications, change management, and risks. High-level plans should be created with a common language and touchpoints so that, where required, you can dive deeply into the details while also communicating the big picture.
  • Audience-specific plans: Not every audience is the same. You may need to create different versions of your plans to address specific interest groups. Ideally, these are filtered or summarised versions of your detailed plans that provide timely, accurate, and relevant information pitched to drive the appropriate level of engagement with your audience.

By considering these interconnected elements, you can create a more robust and effective plan that drives meaningful outcomes.

Plans as Living Documents

The best plans are flexible. They’re not rigid blueprints meant to be rigidly adhered to. Instead, they’re living documents that evolve and adapt as circumstances change.

  • Embrace the Unexpected: Things rarely go exactly as planned. Be prepared to adjust your course, pivot when needed, and learn from setbacks.
  • Encourage Feedback: Regularly seek feedback from your team and stakeholders. Are you on track? Are there any unforeseen challenges? Are there opportunities to improve the plan?
  • Use Data to Guide Decisions: Track progress, analyse data, and use insights to inform your next steps. Are you making progress towards your goals? If not, what adjustments need to be made?

The Dangers of “Plan-itis”

It’s easy to get caught up in the planning process itself. We can spend so much time analysing and re-analysing the plan that we never actually get around to executing it. This is what I call “plan-itis”.

  • Analysis Paralysis: Spending excessive time analysing and re-analysing the plan can lead to inaction.
  • Resistance to Change: Overreliance on the original plan can make adapting to new information and changing circumstances difficult.

In Conclusion – Focus on the Outcome

Ultimately, the success of any plan should be measured by its ability to deliver the desired outcomes. Remember, the plan is a tool, a guide, a framework – not an end in itself.

I often ask myself, “What am I trying to achieve?” and “Who is my audience?” when creating and sharing this plan.

So, the next time you find yourself deep in the weeds of a planning exercise, take a moment to step back. Ask yourself: “Why are we doing this? What are we trying to achieve?”

By firmly considering the “why,” you’ll be better equipped to create effective plans that deliver real results.

Categories
Coaching

The coaching “X” factor

Having worked with coaches for many years I believe there is one stand out quality which makes the difference between a good and great coach – that is the ability to connect.

What do we train coaches?

Having been part of multiple training sessions for both managers and coaches, I see that we focus on the mechanics of how work is done and the models which we ask coaches to use.

The mechanics

Organisations invest in their leadership with endless workshops and discussions using PowerPoint slides telling them how to understand, prioritise, and help work. If people are lucky, the content also includes activities which often revolve around what they should do in a given situation and participants may even get to play a game with some balls, Lego, or similar to break the monotony.

The models

Coaching people is important so we develop models and frameworks that codify useful experience and information is codified for sharing. This helps us lift the skills of as many people creating better workplaces. Our time is short and we want it to be rich and effective so all this makes sense. Models like GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Way forward) and FUEL (Frame, Understand, Explore, Layout a success plan) are valuable in driving important and meaningful conversations.

What we don’t train coaches

All the helpful frameworks on how to coach are limited in their impact if there is not a meaningful connection between the coach and the coachee. Empathy is an important factor, which when genuine, can build trust and help discussions be more productive. Without empathy, the discussion tends to be transactional, focused more on actions than understanding and exploring the motivations behind how people behave

As someone who works frequently with Agile coaches, I notice we spend a lot of time talking about the way we work and coaching models. What we must learn to do is to rehumanise the coachee in the mind of our coaches. One way we can do that is through role play.

Use a role play to explore empathy

  • Create a situation and cast people into roles, for example, an Agile Coach and a Team Member.
  • Provide the Team member with a background story about a problem they have and how they are reacting to it.
  • Let the session play out and then have each party provide feedback about both how the coach guided thinking to solve the problem and how they felt.
  • What usually happens?

The Agile Coach will attempt to diagnose the situation and perhaps using an established model, try to frame a productive response with the Team Member. This is all good however avoids the real opportunity of role-playing in a “safe space” like a workshop room of peers. The learning in minimal and we probably just reinforce existing habits.

How to make role-play highly valuable

Use the “safe space” to explore our own vulnerability and ask the Coach to build a connection with the Team Member.

  • Explore the body language and tone of voice. Have participants talk about what worked and didn’t work for them. It will be different for everyone.
  • Talk about active listening techniques with topics like creating comfortable silences for coachees to reflect and respond in their own time.
  • Talk about how we will react when someone shares their feelings. Get Coaches prepared to work with humans.

When training coaches, don’t focus only on the mechanics and the models, discuss and practice communication techniques . There are too few opportunities for peers to explore how they connect. We are doing a disservice to our coaches every time we don’t.