While HR and learning and development have many stakeholders, perhaps the most important one is the person who funds the work. That’s often an executive, sometimes the CEO, but more likely an operating executive positioned between the CEO and the HR/Learning function. The challenge comes when that person asks a tough question, and no response comes to mind. If you haven’t been asked these questions yet, the goal is to make sure you never are; and if you are, be ready with an answer. 

The Top Five Questions: 

1. Now that you’ve completed that project, can you show me the ROI? 
2. How does this help our business? 
3. Was it worth the investment? 
4. Why do we have to spend so much money on activities? 
5. Can you show me the results and make me believe it? 

When these questions catch you off guard, three things tend to happen: 

1. You’re given a short time frame to respond (executives won’t wait months or years for an answer)
2. You end up being defensive, defending your projects and programs instead of driving the conversation yourself
3. You let impact and ROI land on someone else’s agenda instead of keeping it on yours 

This session provides specific answers to each question, but more importantly, shows you how to prevent or anticipate them so you’re ready when they come. These questions are challenging, and they’re often asked out of frustration that HR and learning aren’t delivering value and cost too much. 

The session will review the five levels of outcomes from any program, identify which data sets matter most to executives, how to spot the early signs that these questions may be coming, and the ideal response for each one. This interactive, content-rich session prepares participants for these challenges before they arrive, which can make all the difference. 

In our thirty years of operation, we have helped hundreds of HR and Learning professionals address and prevent them with much success. 

Objectives

At the end of this session, participants will be able to: 

1. Identify the five levels of outcomes from any project or program.
2. Describe the data executives need.
3. Address the five questions with specific answers. 
4. Ideally, identify the signals that anticipate these questions.
5. Develop a response when preparation isn’t complete. 

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.