The "2-Hours-Back" Playbook: Proving Coaching ROI with Michelle Davis cover art

The "2-Hours-Back" Playbook: Proving Coaching ROI with Michelle Davis

The "2-Hours-Back" Playbook: Proving Coaching ROI with Michelle Davis

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 📝 EPISODE SUMMARY How do you prove coaching works without reducing people development to a single performance score? In this episode of Coaching in Organizations, Michelle Davis (Program Manager for Executive Coaching at Wipfli) shares how her firm built an internal coaching practice, launched a group coaching pilot focused on strategic time management, and translated results into business language leaders trust. You’ll hear what she measured, what she stopped measuring (and why), and how manager involvement strengthens impact while protecting confidentiality. If you’re passionate about coaching cultures, internal coaching, or building capacity through group coaching in organizations, this episode is a must-listen. 🧠 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS What if your coaching ROI story started with a simple question leaders actually care about: “How many hours did we get back?” Michelle Davis, Program Manager for Executive Coaching at Wipfli, breaks down what it really takes to measure coaching impact inside a professional services firm where “metrics are the language.” Start your ROI story with a metric leaders care about: translate coaching outcomes into business language, like time saved. Internal coaching changes the contract: hold the coachee’s agenda while staying aligned to organizational priorities and context. Build group coaching around a clear, repeatable business need: the strategic time management pilot targeted high-potential leaders. Measure what you can defend: engagement, time management satisfaction, and hours saved created a credible impact case for expansion. Protect confidentiality while involving managers: use alignment up front, midpoint check-ins, and post-engagement feedback to strengthen results without exposing coaching conversations. “The business priorities and goals are the frame, and I get to work with my clients within that frame.”   ↪️ WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE 02:29 Michelle’s Coaching Origin Story: Michelle shares what led her to become a coach and her transition from an external to an internal coach. 07:49 Accountability to Business Outcomes: Michelle discusses how her role shifted when she became an internal coach and accountable for business outcomes. 09:30 Coaching Culture at Wipfli: Michelle describes the coaching culture at Wipfli, including who receives coaching and the types of programs offered. 13:17 The Group Coaching Pilot: Michelle details the group coaching pilot, its participants, and the business needs it addressed. 14:40 Measuring Impact of the Pilot: Michelle explains the three key metrics used to measure the pilot’s impact: engagement, satisfaction with time management, and time saved. 19:48 Translating Impact to ROI: Michelle discusses how they translated the pilot’s results into ROI for leadership, combining quantitative and qualitative data. 21:38 Removing Performance as a Metric: Michelle explains why the decision was made to remove overall performance as a measurement in coaching programs. 23:19 Including Managers in Impact Measurement: Michelle describes how managers are involved in measuring the impact of coaching engagements. 26:26 Personal Realizations as an Internal Coach: Michelle shares her personal insights and shifts experienced while building the coaching culture at Wipfli. 28:06 Managing the Dual Role of Internal Coach: Michelle addresses the challenge of being both a coach and an employee, and how she manages boundaries when learning sensitive information. 🗝️ KEY THEMES Coaching ROI that leaders trust Time management as a high-leverage coaching topic Designing group coaching programs around a clear business need Simple, measurable outcomes (and what they tracked) Scaling coaching access through multiple modalities Dropping “performance” as a coaching metric Manager involvement without breaking confidentiality Internal coach boundaries + ethical escalation How to build a coaching culture pragmatically ABOUT MICHELLE DAVIS Transforming people and workplaces from functioning to flourishing drives Michelle's work as an internal coaching leader. She envisions the workplace as a space where professionals can live out their values, cultivate meaning, and become their best selves. Michelle leads the internal coaching practice at Wipfli, a professional services and advisory firm, where the practice's mission is to empower associates to realize their highest potential and live the lives they imagine. Prior to becoming a certified coach, she spent 15 years in business development at the University of Michigan. 🤝 CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Wipfli: https://www.Wipfli.com/ Email: michelle.davis@Wipfli.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-bard-davis/ 📩 STAY CONNECTED WITH GROUP COACHING HQ! Receive updates about future episodes and events!  Join our ...
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