Soft skills programs should perform and deliver results just like other learning programs. If the program is designed to drive business impact, then it should drive business impact. From the impact, the ROI can be calculated. Professionals involved in soft skills programs must be prepared to step up to the challenge of showing the value of major programs and initiatives, not only when impact and ROI are requested, but ideally before the request is made. Five levels of outcomes exist for every soft skills program, which represents a chain of value (reaction, learning, application, impact, and ROI). The challenge is to decide which programs are evaluated at impact and ROI.

Serious Challenges for Soft Skills
Unfortunately, L&D has faced some challenges to deliver results from soft skills that executives appreciate and understand. In our polling with practitioners, we repeatedly find the following statements to be true based on the perception of these practitioners. To deliver the value that executives need from soft skills, each of the answers should be false.

1. Most soft skills are wasted (not used after participating in a program).
2. The soft skills outcome desired by executives is rarely measured in organizations.
3. Most soft skills providers do not have data that shows they make a difference in the organization.
4. Most executives see soft skills as a cost and not an investment.
5. Executives see hard skills as more valuable than soft skills.

 
The Approach
We all need soft skills. Whether leadership development, communications, team building, problem-solving, empowerment, critical thinking, or even mindfulness, soft skills are important and can drive significant value. The problem is executives haven’t seen the value of the soft skills programs in terms they appreciate and understand. Consequently, they call these skills, “Fluff.”

The challenge is to evaluate a major soft skills program at the impact and ROI level. Some learning professionals are reluctant to go down this path because they are concerned that soft skills programs do not deliver a positive ROI. This misconception is playing right into the hands of the executives who are calling soft skills programs “fluff.” The reality is that you can show the ROI, and the odds are high that the ROI is greater for soft skills programs than for hard skills programs.

To ensure that soft skills programs deliver and show business results, essential steps are necessary at the beginning of the implementation of a soft skills program, during the execution, and after implementation. With this approach, the impact and positive ROI are almost guaranteed.

Webinar Description
This webinar will provide useful, practical tools to help you show the value of soft skills programs. Presented in an easy-to-understand format, this interactive session shows how to measure the business value of soft skills programs and how to calculate the ROI.
This webinar also provides detailed case study examples to show how to measure and evaluate different soft skill programs and initiatives. Participants will see what is being measured, how it is being measured, and how the data are used to improve the soft skills programs and influence more investment in soft skills.

Learning Objectives
After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Explain the value chain for soft skills.
2. Describe the need to show impact and ROI for major programs.
3. Design soft skills programs to deliver impact and ROI.
4. Explain how to measure program results at all five levels of outcomes.

 
Materials
Each participant in this webinar will receive a handout, an application guide, an ROI model, and a soft skills case study example from ATD’s newest book Proving the Value of Soft Skills: Measuring Impact and Calculating ROI, by Patti P. Phillips, Ph.D., Jack J. Phillips, Ph.D., and Rebecca L. Ray, Ph.D.

Patti P. Phillips, Ph.D., and Jack J. Phillips, Ph.D., are CEO and chairman, respectively, of ROI Institute. A researcher and consultant, Patti serves on the UN Institute for Training and Research board of trustees, International Federation of Training and Development Organizations board, The Conference Board Human Capital Advisory Council, and the Institute for Corporate Productivity People Analytics Board. She has written or contributed to more than 50 books describing how individuals can demonstrate the value of their work.

Jack has taught his proprietary ROI Methodology® to more than 50,000 professionals and managers in 70-plus countries. He is a global keynote speaker and has written more than 100 hundred books. He has served as an engineer, trainer, learning manager, HR executive, general manager, president, and college professor.

Rebecca L. Ray, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Human Capital, is a member of the Executive Committee and leads the U.S. Human Capital Center. She is responsible for member engagement and retention as well as the quality and integration of all offerings across the human capital spectrum, including research, peer learning networks (councils), conferences, webcasts, and experiential and executive events. Previously, Rebecca was an executive at several leading organizations, including three Fortune 50 companies. She has been responsible for talent acquisition, learning and leadership development, employee engagement, performance management, executive assessment, coaching, and succession management. A contributor to Forbes, Rebecca is a frequent speaker at conferences and briefings around the world. Her research, commentary, and the accomplishments of her teams have been featured in the Financial Times, Fortune, and Wall Street Journal, among other major magazines and outlets. She was named Chief Learning Officer of the Year by Chief Learning Officer magazine and one of the Top 100 People in Leadership Development by Leadership Excellence magazine.