| | | | | turnover. |
| | | | By setting out the outcomes expected form the |
| In the late 1950's, Kirkpatrick outlined four levels | | | | leadership development programme the case for |
| of training evaluation. His evaluation system | | | | investment and the task of evaluation are much |
| consisted of four types of measures: | | | | easier. |
| * Reactions – ‘liking or feelings for a | | | | Building on the principles of Kirkpatrick's model of |
| programme'. | | | | training evaluation, the impact a programme has |
| * Learning – ‘principles, facts etc absorbed | | | | on individual leaders, their teams and ultimately the |
| by the participants'. | | | | organisation can be assessed in a number of |
| * Behaviour – ‘using learning on the job'. | | | | ways. |
| * Results – ‘increased production, reduced | | | | * Individual – The impact the leadership |
| cost's etc'. | | | | development has had on the individuals |
| While a number of developments in evaluation | | | | performance and behaviour can be measured via |
| have been made during the past 50 years, the | | | | achievement of personal targets (e.g. cost |
| basic tenets of Kirkpatrick's work still remain. | | | | reductions, sales increases etc) as well as |
| Ultimately the "acid test" of an investment in | | | | observations from their manager or via 360? |
| leadership training and development is the results | | | | feedback appraisals. |
| it produces. Similarly, no organisation would invest | | | | * Team – The impact the programme has |
| in a new product or service if they thought that it | | | | had on the leaders' team can be measured via |
| would fail! | | | | achievement of team targets and performance |
| As with the evaluation of any investment, it must | | | | measures (e.g. customer satisfaction, absence |
| begin at the start, i.e. at the design stage of a the | | | | rates etc) as well as observations on team |
| leadership development programme. For example, | | | | behaviour from external/internal feedback |
| the organisation needs to be clear about: | | | | surveys. |
| * What is the purpose of the leadership | | | | * Organisation – Ultimately the impact the |
| development programme? | | | | leadership development programme has on the |
| * What issues is the organisation struggling to | | | | organisation can be assessed via the organisations |
| resolve? | | | | own metrics (profitability, sales growth, market |
| * What does the organisation wish to see | | | | share etc) as well as internal employee |
| differently from its leaders, in terms of | | | | satisfaction and engagement surveys. |
| performance and behaviour? | | | | It is vital that organisations assess the impact |
| Each of these areas needs to be broken down. | | | | their leadership development programmes to |
| Does the organisation wish to: | | | | ensure that the investment they make pays off. |
| * Increase profits? | | | | To achieve this, the purpose and outcomes of |
| * Increase productivity of staff? | | | | the programme must be clearly defined and |
| * Reduced mistakes/quality problems? | | | | methods of monitoring set up to collect the |
| * Increased sales or market share? | | | | relevant data at an individual, team and |
| * Improve engagement and reduce staff | | | | organisational level before the programme starts. |