Sales of the latest handheld devices have been increased 150% over the last quarter. The senior executives asked the question, “What caused it?” Employee turnover has declined 20% in the past nine months. Senior executive asked the question, “What caused it?” This simple question “What caused it?” is asked frequently in organizations around the world.

It is not an unfair question for senior executives to ask. Our ability to isolate the effects of talent development programs positions us so that we can answer this important question in a credible and reliable way. Our inability to answer this question, opens the door to let others answer it for us. Isolating the effects of the program is not about isolating talent development initiatives from other activities going on in the organization. Far from it.

In fact, by isolating the effects of your program, you’re positioning yourself as a better business partner because you can credibly explain how you know the investments in talent development initiatives are driving results; and you can help your business partners better allocate resources to the different programs, projects, and activities in which they are investing.

During this session, you will learn four techniques to isolate the effects of talent development programs. Case studies will demonstrate each technique.

Participants will calculate the improvement in business measures as described in the case studies. Don’t forget to bring a calculator.

Application on the Job: Upon completion of this session participants will be able to:
 

• Describe the importance of isolating the effects of the program
• Apply four techniques to isolate the effects of your program
• Determine when to use each of the four techniques covered in this session

Patti P. Phillips, PhD is CEO of ROI Institute. She helps organizations implement the ROI Methodology® in more than 70 countries. Her work spans private sector, public sector, nonprofit, and nongovernmental organizations. Patti has authored and edited more than 75 books on measurement and evaluation.

Patti serves as chair of the International Federation of Training and Development Organisations Board of Trustees; chair of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research Evaluation Advisory Board; co-chair of the Institute for Corporate Productivity People Analytics Board; and board member of the American Board of Optometry. From 2018-2024, Patti served on the United Nations Institute for Training and Research Board of Trustees. During her tenure she served as board vice chair and finance committee member.  

She, along with her husband and ROI Institute co-founder Dr. Jack J. Phillips, is the recipient of the 2024 Association of Learning Providers (ISA) Thought Leader Award, 2022 Association for Talent Development (ATD) Thought Leader Award, and the 2019 Center for Talent Reporting Distinguished Contributor Award. Additionally, in 2015, Patti was honored as the ATD CPTD Fellow, a distinction that recognizes her contributions to the professionalization of the talent development field.  

Patti can be reached at patti@roiinstitute.net and https://www.linkedin.com/in/pattipphillips/

Jack J. Phillips, Ph.D., chairman of ROI Institute, Inc., is a world-renowned expert on accountability, measurement, and evaluation. Former bank president, HR Executive, and learning manager, Phillips provides consulting services to Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit entities, and government and non-governmental organizations worldwide. He is the author or editor of more than 100 books, conducts workshops, and presents at conferences worldwide.

Jack has received several awards for his books and work. The American Society for Training and Development gave him the award, Distinguished Contribution to Workplace Learning and Development, and the Thought Leader Award (its highest award). The International Society for Performance Improvement presented Jack with its highest award, the Thomas F. Gilbert Award, for his contribution to human performance technology. The Society for Human Resource Management presented him with an award for one of his books and honored a Phillips ROI study with its highest award for creativity.

In 2019, Jack, along with his wife, Patti P. Phillips, received the Distinguished Contributor Award by the Center for Talent Reporting for their contribution to the measurement and management of human capital. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and Fortune. He has been interviewed by several television programs, including CNN.