EMBEDDING THE LEARNING

Building Capability through Accountability

The program format was blended with self-directed learning content, 3-days face to face (F2F) program, then self-directed application exercises and Coach M. The topics covered included a coaching model, behavioural preferences, EQ and time management

To boost participant accountability for their learning goals and to provide a seamless experience to support the learning transfer into everyday behaviours, Lever held one-on-one TLA coaching conversations with the participants via Coach M. These conversations were held at various intervals throughout the three-month period after the conclusion of the face-to-face section of the program.

There is evidence that the more people reflect on their learning and are held accountable through facilitated conversations, the higher the learning ROI. Through Coach M, TLA supports learners in a structured way to slow down and reflect on their specific learning commitments. This helps hold learners accountable and creates sustained behavioural change. The TLA methodology puts specific, structured, and accountable reflection at the heart of the learning transfer process, increasing training ROI.

Part of the appeal of this approach for the company was the ability to demonstrate and measure individual action plan goal progression from the Coach M dashboard. (see below for example)

At the end of the F2F, managers were prompted by Coach M to create an action plan with up to three specific goals for how they would apply their learning. For example, goals included: Identify my emotional triggers and how I can manage them more effectively, manage difficult conversations with associates effectively, and practise courageous conversations.

Coach M prompted learners to participate in three learning breaks at different intervals following the learning. During these breaks, learners could pause from business as usual to focus on their goals and chat to Coach M about their action plan. Learners were asked to score and rescore their progress against their goals and outline the actions they’d taken that illustrated their score.

THE RESULTS

Engagement, Goals Uplift and Business Impacts

As part of the assessment of results, detailed analysis included reviewing the action plans created by learners using a combination of metrics and analytics. These analytics utilised machine learning and algorithms to measure alignment and risk via multiple detailed dashboards.

The results found that participants were highly engaged, with 22 of 28 learners (79%) participating in the entire process, completing all three learning breaks. There was only a small (7%) drop off at each learning break. Typically, in most learning programs that do not utilise a Learning Transfer process, after 12 weeks a 10% to 12% engagement rate would be expected. Therefore, an engagement rate of 79% is an incredible achievement.
Lever also tracked uplift in the self-reported progress against the three goals set by individual learners. The goals were aligned with frontline sales managers behaviours. Across the three goals there was an average uplift of 86%, 76%, and 64%.

Outcome data which demonstrated managers goal progression was mapped against key business priorities and KPIs to demonstrate business impact. The company saw a rise in some of the employee engagement ratings for the direct reports of the participants, for example, an acceleration of 5% to an already above industry average rating for ‘feedback on individual performance’ within six months.

The program was well suited to the preferences of the participants who responded positively to the structured accountability measures and supervision. Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive with 100% of participants rating Coach M favourably, with 67% very positive, 33% generally positive, and 0% negative or neutral.

The success of the company’s FLSM learning program is a testament to the importance of prioritising Learning Transfer in building capability. Giving learners the chance to participate in coaching conversations to reflect on, and be held accountable to, applying learning, reinforces their learning, builds long-lasting capability, and delivers behavioural change.