Figuring Out Progress When Coaching Gets Fuzzy (Part 2)
This is the second part of our series on measuring qualitative coaching progress. Read Part 1 here
In the first post, I talked about what to look for when tracking coaching progress beyond just numbers - changes in language patterns, decision-making quality, and relationship dynamics. Now let's dig into how to actually track these things.
How I Track This Stuff
Get the Story First
I always start by having people describe their current situation in detail. What's working, what's not, what conversations feel hard, what decisions they're struggling with. I record all this - it becomes our baseline to measure against.
Regular Check-ins That Dig Deep
I have my clients do regular reflection:
Answer the same key questions every few weeks
Record voice memos about specific situations
Compare "before" and "after" scenarios
When we look at these over time, patterns emerge that you'd miss otherwise.
Ask the People Around Them
Often, others notice changes before my clients do:
I get structured feedback from colleagues or team members
I ask specific questions about observable changes
We track how perceptions shift over the coaching period
Mixing Hard and Soft Data
The best approach combines both worlds:
Use some standard assessments at the beginning and end
Create custom scales for subjective experiences
Track specific behaviors that matter
Look at indirect indicators like energy levels or stress
Being Patient With the Process
Here's what I've learned: progress isn't linear. It often looks like periods of insight followed by messy integration. There might be apparent backsliding before a big leap forward.
I look for evidence that combines:
How the client feels about their progress
What they're actually doing differently
Any relevant numbers that might be impacted
What others are noticing
When multiple types of evidence start pointing in the same direction, that's when I know we're really getting somewhere.
Bottom line: don't try to force messy human development into neat boxes. Instead, create measurement approaches that respect how complex this work really is.
What about you? How do you track progress when the most important changes can't be easily quantified?
