Behavioral Impact Of Online Leadership Development Quantified
Center For Naval Analysis Study Provides Private Sector With Proven Approach for Training Next Generation Leaders
SAN FRANCISCO - Ninth House, Inc., the leadership development company, today announced the findings of a comprehensive study conducted by The Center For Naval Analysis (CNAC), a non-profit research and analysis institution, proving the effectiveness and cost efficiency of Ninth House's online leadership training among Chief Petty Officers (CPOs).
Every year the Navy selects over 3,000 First Class Petty Officers to become CPOs. Often referred to as the "backbone" of the Navy, Chief Petty Officers are an essential part of the naval leadership team. According to the CNAC study, the Navy's first comprehensive analysis of advanced training methods and the first study ever of the behavioral impact of online training, new Chief selectees are more effective leaders as a result of Ninth House's blended leadership training. CPOs who completed the Ninth House® program increased their knowledge and retention of leadership course material from 63 percent to 91 percent - a 44 percent improvement - and demonstrated a significant behavioral change in key leadership areas.
"This is the beginning of our investment in our future leaders," said Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON), Terry Scott. "First and foremost, it provides knowledge and sharpens the skills that will serve these chiefs well into their future as deckplate leaders. Secondly, it exposes them to a new way of learning, and provides insight to the effectiveness and application of distance learning."
The study also found that the Ninth House online training costs dramatically less than traditional classroom training - 94 percent less - and can be completed in one-tenth of the time. Utilizing Ninth House's online leadership course, the Navy saved three days of classroom training plus two travel days for 3,892 active duty and 800 Reserve CPO selectees. This has resulted in an anticipated cost savings of more than 2.7 million dollars per year. According to MCPON Terry Scott (SS/AW), the Navy anticipates a great return on this investment.
"Online leadership development offers large organizations a tremendous cost-savings opportunity," said Jeff Snipes, CEO, Ninth House. "Ninth House's Situational Leadership® II course saved the Navy nearly three million dollars on its own. Imagine the potential for savings for a private sector company utilizing several courses throughout their entire organization year after year. The Navy's use of online leadership development is a valuable case in point for corporations and organizations facing analogous training demands - a globally dispersed workforce, constrained budgets and individual career levels."
Ninth House enables sailors to take courses at their own pace, on their own time and while they are deployed. Since the onset of the Navy's revolutionary training program three years ago, sailors have completed more than 61,000 Ninth House courses. The course training is delivered through a combination of self-paced online courses, practical simulations, Web-based reinforcement modules and tailored progress measurement.
"Leadership development and coaching is at the core of successful education and training learning curriculums," said Josh Bersin, Bersin & Associates. "The Navy's implementation of Ninth House is an excellent example of how technology is making training and leadership development more effective and how the training industry is moving beyond typical e-learning solutions to better meet learning initiatives."
CNAC's study compared the effectiveness of traditional classroom training to Ninth House's blended online curriculum and showed significant improvement in all vital leadership categories specific to their fields, including team communication, critical organizing, planning, training and motivating others. Through Ninth House, sailors learned the course material, successfully transferred what they learned to their job roles and improved in key leadership areas. The CNAC's analysis examined performance improvement on eight leadership categories that are essential in the Navy but equally valued in the private sector. These leadership work areas included:
- Communicating with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
- Coordinating the work and activities of others
- Developing objectives and strategies
- Judging the quality of objects, services or persons
- Organizing, planning and prioritizing work
- Scheduling work and activities
- Training and teaching others
- Guiding, directing and motivating subordinates
"This research, the first of its kind for the Navy, identified and assessed leadership training metrics that can be evaluated through an online training program," said Robert Hausmann, spokesperson for the CNAC. "We found that sailors learn the material, transfer learning to the job, and that they improve in key leadership areas, demonstrating that the Navy can effectively deliver training and assessment programs to a diverse workforce across the world utilizing Ninth House."
About Ninth House
Ninth House provides a unique blended learning solution, integrating content from leading business experts with self-paced online courses and practical simulations to more effectively develop leaders at all levels of an organization. The Ninth House curriculum addresses the most relevant issues an organization faces-from leadership and innovation, to building community in the workplace, to managing change. Additionally, it offers Instant Advice®-more than 450 short, Web-based modules that reinforce what the user has learned after taking the courses.
The Ninth House approach combines the community and interaction of the classroom with the reach and affordability of online learning to deliver the teachings of the world's foremost business thinkers across the organization. The Ninth House faculty includes industry luminaries like Ken Blanchard, Tom Peters and Peter Senge. This innovative, blended approach results in 75-95 percent course completion rates at industry leading private and public sector organizations around the world. Ninth House is headquartered in San Francisco, Calif. For more information, please visit the Ninth House website at: www.ninthhouse.com, or call: 415-277-8200.
Source: The Ninth House