Partnership modernises on-the-job impact assessments for executive development
A new on-the-job impact assessment tool for executive education has been deployed in a partnership between executive development company Headspring and The Honeycomb Works.
The Honeycomb is a diagnostic framework, based on behavioural science, that is built into executive development programmes to help executives refine good work habits and leadership qualities. It solves one of the most challenging issues in executive learning: the measurement of true impact after the completion of a programme.
‘Our collaboration with The Honeycomb Works will help us reach deeper into our clients’ organisations to drive behaviour change and ascertain whether the learning has impact,’ says Gustaf Nordbäck, CEO of Headspring. ‘We share The Honeycomb Works’ vision that to improve leadership skills we need a mechanism that goes beyond a simple yearly assessment.’
Headspring designs and delivers customised programmes on a variety of topics, including leadership, innovation and digital transformation. It also creates unique programmes on cutting-edge topics, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain or non-market strategy. It draws on journalists, academics and practitioners from a global educator network, in a flexible learning strategy that is mirrored by its approach to impact measurement.
We live in a data-rich age for impact measurement.
Nordbäck says: ‘No matter how diverse the core learnings, in executive education there is one common denominator for each programme: behavioural change. For example, a course on innovation may include practising how to ‘embrace failure.’ But a leadership programme may include improving skills on ‘ruthless prioritisation.’ The Honeycomb allows us to match the measurement to fit each programme’s learning outcomes.”
‘The Honeycomb is more than a digital tool; it is a method based on rigorous behavioural science,’ says Melissa Sabella, CEO of The Honeycomb Works. ‘We bypassed the fads and the accepted wisdom, and we went directly to the original academic research to understand what delivers high performance. The result is the intangible made tangible. Soft skills are turned into a visual map of specific actions an individual or organisation can take to improve business results, employee engagement and culture.’
Claire Masson, Impact Analyst at Headspring, says: ‘We live in a data-rich age for impact measurement. Recognising the dangers of relying too heavily on things that are easy to count, and the limits of dashboard reporting, we search for forward-thinking partners like The Honeycomb Works. In this way impact reporting becomes part of the learning solution. Measurement isn’t merely an end-state result but becomes part of the individual’s reflective experience, resulting in more personal and business growth.’