"Client feedback is often inversely correlated to coaching quality — it is one of the least reliable measures we have." Or so a recent post to an coaching online discussion group would have us believe.

My mind went back to RD Laing's book of Knots and I was inspired to emulate the old master with my own version:

He does not think the coaching he received was of any use
because
     he is unable to reliably measure
     the quality of the coaching he received.
He does not know the coaching he received was excellent
because
     he is unable to reliably measure
     the quality of the coaching he received.
He does not know that he does not know
     he is unable to reliably measure
     the quality of the coaching he received.
Therefore
we can disregard his assessment that the coaching was of no use
because
     he is unable to reliably measure
     the quality of the coaching he received.
We could coach him to realise that
     he is unable to reliably measure
     the quality of the coaching he received.
And because
he would receive excellent coaching
he would come to realise that
     he is unable to reliably measure
     the quality of the coaching he received.
Then
he would think the quality of the coaching he received was excellent
but because
     he is unable to reliably measure
     the quality of the coaching he received
we can disregard his assessment that the coaching was excellent.

(with apologies to RD Laing)