How to Strategically Measure the Impact of Leadership Development

Submitted by the SIOP Work Smart Series Committee

The November SIOP Work Smart Series workshop Measuring the Impact of Leadership Development was well received by an audience including SIOP members and non-members eager to learn more about evaluating leadership development programs. The session was anchored by SIOP fellow Rob Kaiser (Kaiser Leadership Solutions) and Dr. Chia-Lin Ho (Ho & Associates). Ho and Kaiser have partnered on robust evaluation of leadership development initiatives for many years.

Kaiser reviewed the state of play in leadership development and impact evaluation, concluding that impact evaluation is central to delivering on the promise of leadership development. Kaiser and Ho then discussed how to build in data collection and evaluation from the start, demonstrating how needs analysis data can also serve as baseline evaluation data. Ho next introduced an integrated impact evaluation framework that encompasses learning, behavior, and results. Attendees worked together on an impact evaluation plan for a cohort-based leadership development program and reviewed a case study for an executive coaching engagement.

Participant responses to the workshop were overwhelmingly positive. 100% of CE seekers indicated that the workshop fulfilled its learning objectives.  A representative comment was that the speakers ”used their experience and knowledge of the field to break down complex problems and solutions in a coherent manner."  You can still register to access the workshop recording, all the materials that were shared, and additional resources. (Please note that breakout sessions were not recorded). And even if you were able to attend, this is a workshop, you will benefit from revisiting!

Thank you to our presenters for so graciously sharing their time and expertise during this powerful workshop. We also thank our Benefactor, Code Signal for their support of Work Smart. For more information about sponsoring this SIOP learning channel, please contact Susan Rogers at srogers@siop.org. If you have questions or ideas for the SIOP Work Smart Series Committee, please email WorkSmart@siop.org.

Save the Date:

The next Work Smart Series workshop, Coaching to Accelerate the Development of Learning Agility, will take place virtually on February 21 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET. Dr. Veronica Schmidt Harvey and Dr. Anna Marie Valerio will join forces during this highly interactive workshop to share their expertise. Coaching for learning agility (a) supports increased capacity to deal with rapid, ongoing change; (b) builds self-efficacy in learning; and (c) holds the promise of empowering more leaders to achieve success in leadership roles. This workshop will provide practical approaches for more deliberately integrating the development of learning agility into the coaching process. You can also apply these learnings for yourself.

Dr. Schmidt Harvey is co-editor of the book - The Age of Agility: Building Learning Agile Leaders and Organizations, published by Oxford University Press in 2021. Dr. Valerio has authored two books, Developing Women Leaders: A Guide for Men and Women in Organizations (2009, Wiley/Blackwell) and Executive Coaching: A Guide for the HR Professional (co-authored with Robert J. Lee, 2005, Wiley/Pfeiffer).

We hope you and your network will join us on February 21 for this in-depth exploration of learning agility. This event is open to both SIOP members and non-members. A registration link is forthcoming. We encourage you to register even if you’re unable to attend the live event. All registrants will have ongoing access to the workshop recording and resources even if they are unable to join the virtual experience.