Getting ROI From Follow-Through: The Missing Link
By Richard Flanagan
 
As simplistic as it sounds, action plans only produce results when they are effectively put into action. Or, as Peter Drucker said, "Unless objectives are converted into action, they are not objectives; they are dreams." And, unless you are Carl Jung, the ROI on dreams is not very high.
 
More and more of our clients are being asked by management to produce what Jack Phillips has called Level 5 measurement-ROI evidence of the effectiveness of their programs. We strongly support the move to greater accountability for results, which in the end will strengthen the training profession.
 
We are concerned, however, that in the rush to measure ROI, some steps are being missed, especially in the area of follow-through management. Following through on goals and action plans is necessary to ensure the behavioral change (Level 3) and business results (Level 4)) that are needed to produce the much-desired Level 5 (ROI).
 
Follow-through is the missing link between what happens in the classroom and getting results on the job.
 
We training and development professionals have worked to master the design and delivery of courses. We routinely attempt to generate excellent Level 1 (impact) and Level 2 (learning) results. We speed our learners along six-lane superhighways of elegant coursework right up to the edge of application. (Figure 1)

Figure 1. The Knowing - Doing/ Course - Job Gap

But then there is a chasm. On the other side of this chasm are the opportunities to apply learning in ways that yield improved personal and business results. Pfeffer and Sutton  aptly named the chasm the "knowing - doing gap." It is the gulf that separates input and output, course and job, understanding and action, academic and business results, and-perhaps most important to our clients-

Level 2 and the higher levels of outcome.
 
The bridge over this chasm can be called Transfer. Too often it is not much more than a rickety foot bridge leading to a poorly maintained Application trail, with few if any rest stops or service areas.
 
The key to getting better ROI lies in having a much more explicit, intentional and disciplined approach to the transfer and application process after a course.
 
We have identified six disciplines, as outlined in Figure 2, which together maximize the conversion of learning into business results. These factors work together; the most effective programs are strong in all six. In this article we will focus on perhaps the most neglected, D4: driving follow-through on goals and action plans. Because a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, improving follow-through improves the overall ROI.

Figure 2. Six disciplines that lead to results.

 
How many of you remember leaving a course feeling excited and charged up to act on what you have learned, only to get back to the pile of work at the office, put the book on the shelf, forget your good intentions, and fall back into old behaviors? I have.
 
As a matter of fact, in our practice we've found that two weeks after a highly-rated course, 40% of people could not remember or even find the goals they had set. This number rose with time. So what is involved in follow-through management that will help keep action plans alive?
 
Getting results is too important to leave it to chance. Making follow-though happen takes a disciplined and reliable process with five components:
 
1. remind
2. document
3. share
4. inspect
5. support.
 
These five components can be accomplished manually for small groups, although we use a Web-based tool called Friday5s(r) to provide a scalable process that can be used with both small and large numbers of users.
 
Remind
How many of us depend on reminders to accomplish even our highest priority goals? We use Outlook, Daytimers, Palm Pilots, sticky notes, and other systems to help us not forget. Learning goals, even when well-formulated, rarely are given the same level of importance as business goals, and are quick to fall off of the daily plate. To ensure that learning objectives are followed up, people need to be reminded. In the Friday5s system, for example, an email generator is programmed to deliver regular reminders with requests to document progress.
 
Document
A reminder is great-but to do what? People should be asked to report progress on their goals, recording specific actions, results, next steps and insights. This journaling process helps build new habits and creates a rewarding record of progress and results. Recent studies of leadership underscore the importance of stopping periodically to reflect.
 
Share
There is nothing like a community of learners to keep each member moving forward on his or her goals. The challenge is keeping the group connected. This could be done through periodic teleconferences, online discussions or Webinars. Friday5s allows cohorts of learners to see and comment on each others' reports, both learning from and teaching each other. This not only extends the learning process, but also creates a level of visible accountability.
 
Inspect
People respect what you inspect. Check in on what the learners are doing or not doing and let them know you are doing so. Send managers a copy of their direct report's goals, and ask them to review action plans and updates. In many different studies, manager involvement has been shown to be a key to successful learning transfer and results.
 
Support
Providing some support during the early application phase pays big dividends. Support can come in many shapes and forms, any of which will greatly enhance follow-through and results. Managers can have the greatest impact, but they need to be brought in early and made part of the overall process. Coaches-external, internal or peer-are all good and can play a huge role in follow-through. A single response from a coach to an update doubles the likelihood of continuing follow-through.
 
Before we get to measuring ROI, we need to maximize Level 3 and 4 results. The missing link is follow-through, to ensure the transfer and application of learning to the job. A disciplined process of follow-through management-including reminders, documentation, sharing, inspection and support-optimizes personal and business results and maximizes the ROI for our clients from their learning and development efforts. 
 
Reprinted from ASTD Links

Richard Flanagan is Senior Vice President of Fort Hill Company (Wilmington, Delaware), which focuses on tools for corporate learning, development and performance initiatives. He has developed a proprietary, easy-to-use Web-based tool, Friday5s(r). You can reach him at 302.651.9223 or by email at Flanagan@forthillcompany.com.
 
References
 
Drucker, P: Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices. New York: Harper & Row, 1974.
 
Pfeffer and Sutton:  The Knowing -Doing Gap. Cambridge: Harvard: Business School Press; 2000)