Coaching: The Myth of Intangible Progress

One of the most persistent misconceptions I encounter—from clients, organisational leaders, and even coaches themselves, is that coaching progress is inherently intangible and therefore impossible to measure. I've sat in countless meetings where executives ask, "How do we know this is working?" with a tone that suggests they've already accepted that we can't really know.

But here's what years of coaching have taught me: Progress in coaching isn't intangible. We've just been measuring the wrong things.

The Real Challenge Isn't Measurement—It's Definition

When I work with a new client, we don't start with vague aspirations. We start with Goals that are concrete, specific, and observable. The challenge many coaches face isn't that progress can't be measured—it's that we often let clients (and ourselves) off the hook by accepting fuzzy goals.

"I want to be a better leader" isn't a goal. It's a wish.

"I want to have monthly one-on-ones with each direct report where they feel heard and leave with clear priorities" is a goal. And it's completely measurable.

The discomfort comes when we push clients to get specific. It's vulnerable. It requires them to define what success actually looks like, which means they might have to admit if they don't achieve it. But this is exactly where coaching becomes powerful—and provable.

What Organisations Actually Need to See

In my work bringing coaching programs into organisations, I've learned that leaders don't need sophisticated ROI calculations. They need to see three things:

1. Behavioural Change: Can the person do something differently than they could before? Are they having conversations they avoided? Making decisions that they previously escalated? Leading meetings instead of dominating them?

2. Progress Toward Stated Goals: When we establish clear goals at the outset, goals that the client defines and owns, progress becomes observable. Did they launch that difficult project? Rebuild that relationship with a peer? Delegate the responsibilities they were clinging to?

3. The Client's Own Assessment of Growth: Here's what surprises people: self-assessment is data. When a client tells me, "Three months ago, I would have avoided that conversation entirely. Today I initiated it and felt grounded throughout," that's evidence. Their awareness of their own evolution is itself a form of progress.

The Trap of Waiting for "Big" Results

I've seen coaches (including myself, early in my career) fall into the trap of thinking that coaching only "works" when there's a promotion, a major breakthrough, or a dramatic turnaround. This makes us complicit in the myth that progress is intangible.

But coaching works in inches, not miles. It works when someone stops checking their phone in meetings. When they ask a question instead of giving an answer. When they take a breath before responding to a challenging email.

These micro-shifts are the real work. And they're completely visible—if we're looking for them.

What This Means for Organisations

If you're considering bringing coaching into your organisation, or you're currently sponsoring coaches for your team, here's my advice: Don't accept intangibility.

Demand that coaches work with clear, specific goals. Ask for progress updates that include observable behaviours, not just feelings. Expect clients to articulate what's different, not just what they've "learned," but what they've actually done differently.

Good coaching produces tangible results. If it doesn't, we're either measuring the wrong things or we're not really coaching.

The Bottom Line

The challenge coaches face isn't proving that coaching works. The challenge is having the courage to establish clear enough goals that success and failure become visible. That vulnerability is uncomfortable. But it's also what makes coaching trustworthy, valuable, and worth the investment.

Progress in coaching is only intangible if we allow it to be.

What's been your experience with measuring progress in coaching—either as a client or as someone sponsoring coaching in your organization? I'd love to hear your thoughts.