How to Transform Your Coaching Into Outcome Based Skills Development

BY Michael Stahl | May 26, 2023

Across just a six-month span, a large ed-tech company enjoyed a boost in customer retention and customer satisfaction, while worker productivity increased as well. Did the organization achieve this by magically lowering prices while innovating its product and raising employee compensation all at the same time? Nope.

Instead, its learning and development leader had a clear vision of driving business KPIs with L&D by improving customer churn and engineering throughput outcomes. The executive recognized that first-level managers were in the best position to facilitate such results. So they cultivated a training program focused on that role, enlisting GrowthSpace, the coaching and mentorship platform, as its partner.

Omer Glass, co-founder and CEO of GrowthSpace, told From Day One's May Virtual audience during a recent thought leadership spotlight, that results like these start with a simple formula that sports a fun acronym: POP, which stands for “population outcome program.”

“This is something you can do basically tomorrow morning and start experimenting with,” said Glass. “It’s very cool. Once you do it, it becomes addictive.”

First, Glass explained, figure out what “population” of the workforce you should focus on, based on their potential to drive your desired KPIs. Ask yourself: “Which population is the most important to invest in?” Is it managers or R&D leaders for example?

Once you’ve limited your search to a broad group, narrow it down further to the employees within that group who have the most promise in terms of KPI outcome delivery.

When it comes to “outcomes,” the goal, Glass said, is to drive performance, reduce attrition and build a promotable base.

Omer Glass, the co-founder and CEO of GrowthSpace, led the thought leadership spotlight (company photo)

“If you thought of a population, you can think, ‘OK, I want to drive performance for my engineering [team],’” said Glass. “The next thing, which is the most critical thing that you probably ask is, ‘How do I measure it?’ and ‘How do I know I can really attribute the change to what [I] just did?’”

He explained that outcomes can be measured in three different ways, through program surveys, leveraging HR analytics and/or the attainment of defined business or organizational KPIs. Glass recommended a deeper focus on the lattermost option, as it’s the most reliable and informative.

“The best way to really make sure that you’re attributing the success to your Learning and Development program is to A-B test,” he said, suggesting that the R&D population and the customer success population each be split into halves with the L&D program being the only variance between the groups.

Finally, it’s time to design the “program,” with a focus on driving toward the desired KPIs.

“You can do mentoring, you can do training, you can do coaching, could do team coaching, workshops, internal mentoring,” Glass said, suggesting one-on-one coaching as the most effective means of development. “But the outcome you’re trying to drive needs to be connected with what you’re doing,” he added. “You need to focus on a program that’s very focused on a very specific metric.”

With that in mind, it becomes easier to execute the crucial next step of pairing employees with their coaches for five concentrated sessions across two months, which allows the process to be scaled (or altered or terminated if it does not appear to be achieving its purpose). Outcomes are then measured and Glass said, overall, GrowthSpace partners that engage in this program report a 50% reduction in employee attrition, a 10% increase in promotable base, up to a 10% increase in internal productivity metrics and up to a 7% increase in functional KPIs, such as sales or operations improvements.

“We basically help companies achieve their business outcomes, by becoming more business critical, by helping them deploy human-to-human programs,” Glass said of GrowthSpace.

A very tech-forward solution with a human touch? Sounds like a viable balance of old and new school approaches team members can get behind.

Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, GrowthSpace for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.

Michael Stahl is a New York City-based freelance journalist, writer, and editor. You can read more of his work at MichaelStahlWrites.com, follow him on Twitter @MichaelRStahl, and order his first book, the autobiography of Major League Baseball pitcher Bartolo Colón, at Abrams Books.


RELATED STORIES

Boosting Performance by Promoting Well-Being

The work rules we learned early in our career no longer apply. The last three years have drastically changed what we do and how we do it, as well as the expectations between employees and employers. As an example, Dr. Tom Van Gilder, chief health officer at the virtual coaching company BetterUp, noted in a From Day One webinar that the rate of skills retirement–the time it takes for a skill to become irrelevant or no longer applicable–has declined from about 5 years 15 years ago to just 18 months. “Everything seems to be always in flux,” he said. Change can be good, but this constant state of change is increasing stress. Indeed, a 2021 Harvard Business Review study found that 85% of respondents felt that their well-being had declined in the past two years. The study also reflected a 25% increase in anxiety and depression. Why does that matter? Because employee well-being has a direct impact on performance – of individuals, of employee populations, and of organizations themselves. “There is a relationship between well-being and performance,” Gilder said, but take heart. “Well-being can be measured, and well-being can be improved over time.”BetterUp data, based on about 2 million coaching sessions with people around the world, suggests that, when it comes to well-being, about 5% feel strong, 35% feel steady, and 55% feel strained or unsteady. The last 5% feel stuck. Unlike the people at the very bottom of the scale, most people who languish in the strained or unsteady category won’t likely show up in mental health claims, Gilder explains. They don’t see themselves as having something treatable. “But they're not at their best, they don't feel their best, they don't perform their best.”There are a variety of resources for measuring well-being, including:     •    The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health     •    The HERO Scorecard, developed with Mercer     •    PositivePsychology.com     •    What Works Center for Wellbeing in the UK While an organization can try to tackle this issue at any time, it’s best to be proactive and not wait until things are unsettled or bad to start a program that measures well-being and looks for methods to improve it, he said. But regardless of when you start, Gilder says that improvements in well-being can drive performance and help create resilience and adaptability in your workforce.Martin Seligman, the originator of positive psychology, conducted a study of more than a million Department of Defense employees that showed happiness was the number one predictor and driver of success. The people who won the most prestigious awards were those with the highest well-being scores at the start of the study – four times as many in the top quartile compared to the bottom one. BetterUp’s own data shows a 16% increase in performance among people whose well-being improved than in those whose did not.What’s the connection? Gilder says resilience and cognitive agility are predictive of well-being and are also drivers of performance. “Resilience allows a person to adapt more smoothly in the face of change or stress, and it provides a buffer to burnout,” he said.Dr. Tom Van Gilder, BetterUp's Chief Health Officer, led the webinar (company photo)On an organizational level, where there are higher indices of resilience in individuals and across the population of the workplace, there is a greater ability to respond to change and to remain competitive. “As things change, the ability to see which way things are going and to react calmly and efficiently and effectively becomes an organizational predictor,” he said. Companies that have higher resilience have over a three and a half times higher annual return on equity, and almost three and a half times higher year-on-year growth, Gilder added. “This component of well-being is good for the individual and the organization as well.”How can you improve it? Coaching works. Even during the pandemic, BetterUp data showed that those who had coaching on well-being ended up with higher markers of productivity than those without coaching. One of their larger clients, Salesforce, has provided a wealth of data to BetterUp. Those accessing services showed a 75% increase in markers associated with flourishing than those who did not. It led to fewer missed workdays, better health, and an increase in the likelihood of delivering a top performance. The people who are really stuck get the most impact from accessing mental health care services. But there is a large percentage of people who don’t access those solutions, either because they're not identified or don’t self-identify as needing something or they are not aware of these options. Make sure that whatever mental health solutions you provide, through your health plan, EAP, or other benefits, that it is communicated to and available across your entire population. If you provide coaching, know that it isn’t therapy, and ensure that whatever coaching providers you use are trained to point to other resources and refer on as needed. EAPs are often underused because people don’t know about them. There also remains a stigma around mental health care. Be sure you are working to tear down those barriers.Don’t forget about financial well-being, too. In these inflationary times, money troubles and concerns can have an impact on overall well-being. Consider whether financial coaching or financial literacy education could help your employees become more resilient. Younger people may be more likely to engage with digital tools. Find out what your people will respond to and offer it. You may need to offer both digital and real-life options, depending on your workforce’s preference. Consider group options, too. This can help with issues of catastrophizing, Gilder said. “If people organize around specific topics, it can help them develop tools to cope with change and help them see positives that come with it. “We can’t change the rate of change, but we can become more comfortable with it.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, BetterUp, for sponsoring this webinar. 

Lisa Jaffe | June 02, 2023

How Family-Forming Benefits Can Save Your Company Money

Picture this: Sarah and Zach are a heterosexual couple in their late 30s, and they’re nervous about how long it will take them to get pregnant, because Sarah has friends who had to undergo treatment. Thanks to her benefit portal, she decides to talk to a fertility coordinator, who introduces her to resources such as nutrition counseling and access to a wearable ovulation tracker. Sarah gets pregnant after 3 months and, thanks to her benefits, has access to prenatal yoga. In the end, she has a healthy pregnancy and delivers a healthy baby.In another case, Emily is a single mom by choice and wants a second child. During her first pregnancy, she needed a C-section, because the baby was breech. She assumed that, because she’d had one C-section, she would need one for her second birth. Emily used her benefits to get pregnant via intrauterine insemination using a donor. Then, after exploring her new company’s benefits, she scheduled a call with a midwife, who asked her if she wanted to attempt a vaginal delivery. Emily then worked with a doula, talked to her doctor, and changed her birth plan. She went into labor and had a vaginal birth. These are just two examples that Allen Niemynski, Account Executive for Enterprise Sales at the fertility and family-forming benefits platform Carrot Fertility, provided during a From Day One webinar, titled “How Fertility Benefits Can Save a Company Money.” He acknowledges that it might seem counterintuitive at first, as family forming benefits are notoriously expensive. But fertility challenges can result in frequent doctor’s appointments and medical treatments with side effects that lead to absenteeism and other expensive consequences. Fertility benefits can help lower overall costs by retaining valuable employees, helping meet DEI goals, and, by intervening early in the process with less invasive options, curbing high-cost claims. Retention always takes significant resources, as replacing and training a new employee can require six to nine months.In fact, what would have happened without access to these benefits? Many companies would have required that Zach and Sarah try getting pregnant for one year before covering assisted reproductive technology–first, intrauterine insemination, followed by IVF (in vitro fertilization). Each round of IUI costs $4,000, while IVF costs $21,000 per round, and many people require more. Preventative care allowed Zach and Sarah to get pregnant without intervention.In Emily’s case, C-sections increase costs; by avoiding a C-section, someone working at a self-insured company would save around $20,000–and would have a safer birth experience. Since education is still lacking, only 13.3% of women opt for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). That’s where robust pregnancy resources come in: talking to a doula reportedly reduces C-section rates when the alternative is medically safe.Allen Niemynski, enterprise account executive for Carrot Fertility, led the webinar (company photo)Fertility benefits allow employees not to use their insurance plan to access these resources, so employers  save even more money when employees manage to grow their families without intervention thanks to preventative measures. Providing personalized care means, say, offering IVF if it’s right for the patient. In certain cases, though, IVF can cause more harm than good and have bad business consequences. Niemynski likens IVF to treating back pain with back surgery. “More than 66% of Carrot members selected non-invasive interventions over surgery as a first line,” he said. For example, one of the first-line resources is discounted access to an ovulation tracker, which measures five different parameters and identifies fertile windows. Here again, the need for education can come into play, as there’s a general lack of awareness that one can only conceive during a limited amount of time in a cycle.“In the last 10 years, fertility benefits were mainly focused in the tech sector, but that’s changing,” said Niemynski. “We’re seeing industries, across all sizes, embrace fertility benefits, and it’s because we really need to. One out of eight couples experiences fertility challenges.” Historically, fertility has been a taboo subject, but people have become increasingly comfortable with sharing their personal stories. Male infertility is also being discussed more and more: the sperm count dropped 60% in the last 40 years. Despite the misconception that most fertility challenges lie within women, 40% of issues actually start with men. “Everybody needs the option to start the family they want,” said Niemynski. Carrot’s benefits extend beyond fertility strictly speaking, and Niemynski favors the phrase “family forming.” Family-forming benefits can help companies reach DEI goals by providing options to the LGBTQIA+ workforce and by boosting equity, ensuring that all employees have access to high-quality care. Supporting a diverse workforce makes smart business sense, as diverse companies experience better business outcomes.Niemynski explains the case of Michael and Nick, a same-sex couple who want to adopt a child. Intending to adopt in the United States, they assume they’ll go through the agency route. But their benefit portal routes them to an expert, who lets them know about common costs associated with foster-to-adopt, agency, and independent options. Michael and Nick inquire about self-guided options and research platforms that operate without an agency. A self-guided route, through which the majority of costs are related to legal work, means that the couple can spend $10,000-15,000, as opposed to $30,000-60,000. They chose this option and welcomed their babies. A benefit package covering up to $20,000 for family forming would completely support this journey. Adoption-related family-forming benefits are crucial for the LGBTQIA+ workforce: 26% of same-sex couples adopt, but only one out of five companies offer adequate resources. In parallel to family-forming benefits, Carrot also offers resources for menopause, a natural part of aging. Since menopause is not a disease, it’s under-researched, and only 25% of OBGYN programs provide menopause training. Still, menopause has a significant impact on health. Changes in estrogen and progesterone affect the brain, the reproductive system, and other organs. These symptoms can also negatively affect life score, decrease productivity, and impair daily activities. 7% of women experience early-onset menopause, which carries the additional risks of osteoporosis, heart disease, and more. Take the case of Rebecca, the VP of finance at her company. At 49, she starts having hot flashes and trouble sleeping. One year later, symptoms worsen: she becomes fatigued during the work day and can’t sleep at night. Her GP says the symptoms are just a part of life. But during a work meeting that offers an overview of benefits, she learns she can find a doctor who specializes in menopause, as well as join a support group addressing the pros and cons of HRT. She starts treatment and finds that her support group is invaluable. “We estimate $10,000 in retention savings,” said Niemynski. “But for a senior leader like her, savings might be much higher.” There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to creating a suite of family-forming benefits, but Carrot does have one rule when it comes to connecting patients with resources: “No Google,” Niemynski said. “There’s a lot of terrible information that can lead you down a dangerous rabbit hole, and that will make people invest money in places that will not help them achieve their goals.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Carrot Fertility, for sponsoring this webinar. 

Angelica Frey | June 01, 2023

Mapping the Human Genome of Potential

“The resume is one of the worst business tools on the planet,” said Scott Dettman, CEO of entry level career matchmaking firm Avenica. “Employers are missing anywhere from about 75% to 83% of the available talent by relying on these antiquated tools.”Dettman’s attacks on the oft-maligned resume only grew more fierce as his talk at From Day One’s live event in Salt Lake City progressed.“This happens because recruiting is heavily based on skills and keywords listed in resumes. So if you don't have those right, you are going to be missed,” he added.Dettman’s passion for this topic is informed by his own experience entering the job market following his graduation from college in 2009, at a time when jobs were scarce as unemployment levels approached ten percent. 400 job applications later, he finally received an invitation to interview for an opening. While he expected to meet with a recruiter, Dettman was surprised to instead receive an audience with the CEO. “Oh, it’s him,” Dettman remembered the CEO saying while glancing over his resume. “You applied for an entry level marketing position. But you have a political science degree. So you have no business applying for this job.” Crushed, Dettman decided that as long as he was there, he’d make the case for hiring him based on his abundance of grit over lack of experience.“And so I shared my story with him, I kind of poured my guts out. I told him everything I've been through, that I grew up in the south side of Milwaukee in a bad neighborhood, that I was born with a neurological disorder and had a lot of health issues, and an unhealthy home environment. But I'd overcome all that and played Division One, college football, I had done all these different things.”The CEO responded, “I'm not going to hire you for this job. But come back tomorrow, I've got a better one for you.”That position ended up being a great fit for Dettman, catapulting his career in vital ways. Eventually Dettman would be the CEO of his own company at just 32, far ahead of the average age of 58. And yet it almost didn’t happen. Dettman points to that experience as proof of the inability of a piece of paper to capture the true essence of a newly minted college graduate’s suitability for any position.“The important thing to note here is that I only accidentally got a chance to pitch myself like that. Most people don't get the opportunity to spill their guts as I did, and tell their story. And that's a real problem.”During his talk, Dettman referred to the irony of leading the presentation at the facility located within Salt Lake City’s famous museum, The Leonardo, named for Leonardo DaVinci. “The first resume was used 541 years ago, created by DaVinci,” he quipped. “We've been doing this thing for 541 years, right? Maybe we can evolve it a little bit.”As bad as he feels the resume is, Dettman said it’s only part of the dysfunction plaguing the talent acquisition equation today.Scott Dettman, the CEO of Avenica, led the thought leadership spotlight (photo by Sean Ryan for From Day One)“Most job descriptions are not well-crafted. They’re vague. They say things like “self-starter” or “collaborative” or all sorts of meaningless things. But at the same time, they're also calling for an increasing number of skills to be present, and skills are important,” Dettman said. “But we should also acknowledge that skills by themselves, without the right fit, without the potential, without the right environment, are almost meaningless. And most job descriptions are written to be exclusive. As are a lot of job postings. And don't get me started on job titles. All these issues contribute to this massive translation problem.”And the dysfunction of the status quo extends to the talent side, Dettman said. “The other side of this is employees are only making themselves available to the companies they're aware of. But a political science major from a state school has no sense for the entire variety of employers that are out there. There's no college course about that. Plus, they don't really know the kinds of jobs they could succeed at, or where they could do them. So it's a recipe for disaster.”Recognizing all these flaws, Dettman determined that there must be a better way, and the outcome was Avenica.“Before we ever take a look at a resume or send a candidate to an interview, we take them through a process called leveling, like in a video game. We have these individuals perform micro tasks on our platform. We'll send them a link, and it'll be to watch a video, and at the end, there'll be an instruction to follow, such as sending an email with the video’s three most salient points. And we're tracking every little movement, every data point along the path,” Dettman said. “We send them proprietary assessments that reveal their workstyle and workplace preferences. So we're building this big data cloud around these individuals. So they're not only demonstrating what their preferences are, what they're capable of doing, their ability to communicate and problem solve, to be responsive and follow directions. They're also demonstrating commitment, grit and intent.”The outcome of this process is a very granular mapping of a candidate’s talent genome, which produces insights offering the same kind of explanatory power that comes from decoding one’s DNA.“And we're mapping that to a hiring partner and their needs. This is the reason why we're focused on early career—because there's no better time to avoid resumes and besides, these people don't have experience anyway,” Dettman explained. Dettman said the data back up his iconoclastic approach, pointing to a particular client company, where 67% of promotions during one mid-year cycle went to candidates found by Avenica. “It just goes to show you that when you free your mind of the constraints that we've created on talent and the way that we look at things and the bias that we use to evaluate candidates, you realize that you can unleash all that human potential, and really make a difference.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Avenica, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Judd Bagley is a Utah-based marketing communications professional and freelance journalist.

Judd Bagley | May 31, 2023