INSIGHTS | CORENTUS FIRST FRIDAY with a THOUGHT LEADER SERIES

Dr. Alaina Szlachta
From “Fix Our Team” to Measurable ROI

Drawing on a practical diagnostic framework, Dr. Alaina Szlachta shows how to surface the real barrier, define success upfront, and connect team development directly to measurable business outcomes. Great team coaching doesn't start with the workshop. It starts with the right questions.

Dr. Alaina Szlachta
Dr. Alaina Szlachta is the founder of By Design Development Solutions, helping training and coaching firms use their organization's original data to differentiate themselves in the marketplace, attract new clients, reduce customer churn, and expand their intellectual property. An academic-turned-entrepreneur, she draws on her background as a researcher and public health educator to specialize in data strategy and systems implementation, from data audits to collection, analysis, and workflow systems that drive revenue and influence. She is the author of the ATD Press book, Measurement and Evaluation on a Shoestring, written to make measuring impact accessible to anyone, regardless of expertise.

For you from Alaina & Corentus

“From “Fix Our Team” to Measurable ROI” (52:44)

• Moving Beyond Team Development Toward Measurable Impact: Alaina Szlachta’s work focuses on helping coaches, consultants, and leadership practitioners connect team development directly to business outcomes. Her core argument is that development initiatives should not stop at “good experiences” or abstract growth, but should create measurable productivity gains tied to organizational goals. 

• Core Premise: The quality of the intake conversation determines the quality of the development initiative. Most measurement problems begin before the work even starts. 

• The Central Problem: Clients often request team development without clearly defining success. Teams may describe issues vaguely (“communication problems,” “conflict,” “low morale”), making it difficult to measure impact or design the right intervention. 

• Szlachta’s Key Reframe: Rather than starting with abstract concepts like engagement or cohesion, begin with productivity.

“When we do development initiatives, especially for teams, the one domino that we've got to knock over is productivity.” 

• The Productivity Chain

Szlachta frames team development as a chain of outcomes:

Targeted Development
→ Removes Friction
→ Improves Productivity
→ Impacts Revenue / Organizational Outcomes
→ Supports Long-Term Sustainability

She argues that all development work ultimately needs to connect back to observable business impact. 

• The Importance of Diagnostic Conversations

Szlachta emphasizes that practitioners must guide the conversation instead of relying on vague open-ended discussions.

One of her recommended intake questions:

“What are you observing on your team that’s getting in the way of productivity?” 

• Why This Question Matters

The wording intentionally:

  • focuses on observable behavior

  • reduces subjectivity

  • links directly to measurable outcomes

  • helps identify barriers to performance

  • creates clearer ROI conversations

• The 8 Barriers to Team Productivity

Using research synthesis and AI-supported analysis, Szlachta identifies recurring barriers teams face:

  • unclear goals and priorities

  • poor communication

  • low psychological safety

  • ambiguous roles and ownership

  • low morale

  • conflict and drama

  • lack of buy-in

  • insufficient alignment around expectations 

• Observable vs Assumed Behavior

A major theme throughout the session was the importance of observable behavior rather than assumptions or “mind reading.”

“If we think we can read minds, we're probably making a bunch of assumptions.” 

Szlachta encourages practitioners to ground diagnostics in behaviors that can actually be observed and measured.

• Productivity as Business Language

Szlachta deliberately uses the word “productivity” instead of broader terms like effectiveness or cohesion because it resonates with leadership teams and business stakeholders.

“Productivity is what your managers are required to make happen on a team.” 

However, she also acknowledges that productivity is made up of multiple human dynamics:

  • morale

  • communication

  • trust

  • clarity

  • expectations

  • capabilities

  • collaboration

KEY INSIGHTS | from our First Friday with a Thought Leader Event
Dr. Alaina Szlachta “From ‘Fix Our Team’ to Measurable ROI”

• Capabilities vs Skills

Another key distinction Szlachta makes is between skills and capabilities.

Skills are only one component of effective performance.

Capabilities also include:

  • morale

  • buy-in

  • clear expectations

  • prior experience

  • psychological readiness

  • organizational support systems 

She argues that many development initiatives fail because organizations over-focus on skills training while ignoring the broader capability ecosystem.

• Culture & Values Alignment

Szlachta also highlights the connection between organizational culture, values, and productivity.

She argues that:

  • Organizations often develop fragmented “mini cultures” across departments

  • Values only matter if they are practiced behaviorally

  • Performance systems must align with organizational values

  • Culture is constantly evolving as teams and generations change 

One example she shared was using Appreciative Inquiry frameworks within a domestic violence nonprofit to address burnout and performance challenges in a values-aligned way.

• Practical Takeaway

Instead of asking:

“How do we improve this team?”

Szlachta encourages practitioners to ask:

“What observable barriers are getting in the way of productivity?” 

That shift creates clearer diagnostics, stronger measurement, and more meaningful development interventions.

" If time is our greatest challenge, I prefer to give people something to react to.”

- Dr. Alaina Szlachta

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