ROL in Action

One of my clients in manufacturing was facing inconsistent output levels and quality issues with the work line. This client had invested a lot of time and resources into skills training and made many improvements to their hardware systems in an effort to improve the team’s issues, but the problems still persisted – the line wasn’t meeting the operational metrics. I was brought in to reevaluate and refine their training efforts.

One of the first things I did was meet the workers, and I noticed that during our introductory meeting, no one was open to answering my culture or process questions. Over the next few days, I reviewed their training materials and their work process on the line. I noticed a shift supervisor who was focused on meeting the metrics and increasing the line’s output. However, he often raised his voice at employees during the shift.

Every time the shift supervisor raised his voice, the line slowed down. I started tracking the slowed progress and made a plan to coach the shift supervisor and work with the team. When I presented my ideas, I was met with the response that soft skills can’t be measured. This is not the case. I was able to show the impact that was caused by this shift supervisor on team performance. Focusing on the ROL measures the cost of the problem, which may be people-based, and then measures its impact on the organization to demonstrate the importance of developing soft skills.

Watch this video for the full story and for a calculator that you can use to show the value of different operational metrics that demonstrate the impact learning and performance solutions bring to the organization and the bottom line.

Measuring Soft-Skill Training Effectiveness

The first step to using learning strategically is to apply the same frame of reference your operational and leadership teams are using and apply them to the solution being implemented. The metrics that matter are the ones used by the client group, so use their data points to measure the impact learning has, especially around the behavioral skills we use in life to be successful. Some key business functions that are used as data points include first-call resolution, retention, leadership style, net promoter scores, upselling numbers, and more.

Look at how you are helping the person be able to perform better using the behavioral life skills that impact the organization. To truly measure the ROI, start by focusing on the ROL. Use my favorite four-letter word to start with – PLAN: Prior (to) Learning, Assess Now. Take ownership of the learning solution you are developing by first (prior to learning) gathering the current operational metrics (assess now) that you will be measuring against, so you can identify clearly to yourself and your client that the solution you put in place made a difference at the business level. Impacting performance on all levels creates value for the person and the process they are in, leading to success for everyone.