Coaching rewired - rethinking coaching for the 21st century
Our forums in both Milton Keynes and London, kindly hosted by The Open University and The London School of Economics and Political Science respectively, were a great chance for us all, whether client, partner or coach, to explore the shift ahead of us.
Business coaching, as a practice and a profession, has changed and developed significantly in it’s relatively short lifespan. The questions is, is it fit for purpose for the working world of today and tomorrow?
Having recently co-published an article looking at the evolution of coaching, we were delighted to be joined by Val Stevenson at both forums. Val heads our coaching team and has challenged and developed both our thinking and practice.
“At just thirty years old, the coaching industry has contradictory personalities. It is an established (although not yet regulated) profession, set in its ways, arguably too reliant on tried and tested tools, techniques and frameworks.
At the same time, it’s an ambitious, bright-eyed millennial, gaining the confidence to break the rules. It’s this rule-breaking persona that promises to disrupt the old and drive forward future trends for those that are prepared to step away from some of the established biases and traditions of coaching.”
- Val Stevenson and Naomi Ward ‘The Evolution of Coaching - Six Trends’
We looked at both personas of coaching; now and the future. Coaching is a fantastic development tool and can achieve great results. Organisations and individuals understand the value and positive results it can achieve, but is it always the answer?
So why change? Why question the value?
We believe there is a looming crisis in coaching and we cannot afford to be complacent; we need to raise the bar. There are many factors disrupting coaching today which means we need to change to adapt to these evolutions.
AI - Research shows a rise in technological advances will have a big impact. Smart technology such as Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa are getting smarter everyday meaning that people are becoming used to things being on demand and immediate.
Technology and delivery channel - the way in which we deliver coaching is evolving. Face-to-face interactions are becoming increasingly rare, being replaced with more convenient, immediate resources such as Skype, Whatsapp and Zoom.
Cost - There is an increased pressure on costs with the more traditional approach of hourly rates being overtaken by bundles which allow for flexibility and tailoring to the need of the individual.
Self directed teams - an increased focus on owning your own learning means people are having to become better at getting feedback.
Leaders - leaders are often expected to coach without any training or experience in this field.
Being 100% human - the focus of the workplace has shifted to values, ethics and global agenda. Employers and employees are now more aware than ever of being 100% human at work and how this can be achieved.
We like to see this change over time as a coaching evolution. If you look at the graphic above, these are the elements that we must consider in coaching today.
Coaches are expected and required to be agile; able to be on demand to listen as well as coach. The lines between coach, counsellor and leader are becoming ever more blurred and as highlighted by David Goldsmith in his article, we believe that great coaches break the rules.
“Most long-standing coaches not only fluidly and fluently dance between the distinctions of coaching, consulting, counselling and training, they also are constantly customising solutions and approaches for their clients from an eclectic and deep repertoire of methods, processes and skills.” - David Goldsmith
Coaching is also no longer reserved for executives. As Val shared with us, the term ‘executive coach’ is outdated. Agile coaches are available and now appealing to a wider array of clients due to the lack of exaggerated fees and rigid programme structures.
As discussed, technology is playing an ever increasing role in coaching. We live in an on-demand economy where apps and smart technology can provide you with everything from a taxi to mental health support at the tap of a button. Making the coaching process more fluid allows sessions to be scheduled around the client’s needs and can be as short and long as needed, but will provide clarity and the ability to progress. Organisations that have already started exploring app-based coaching are BetterUp and Thrive, examples of coaching through mobile technology available for all.
Value from coaching also comes from the use of technology to deliver engaging, interactive content to embed the learning. Businesses with a subscription model are booming and micro-learning programmes lend themselves to this particular model while building a supportive, networked community.
We are being asked to create coaching packages which individuals can access on an ad hoc basis, rather than adhering to a rigid structure of an amount of sessions of a period of time. We aim to deliver what is needed by the client rather than what fits our business model.
Wherever you are in the coaching space, the message is simple. Coaching is about providing a safe space to work, but also one that is challenging, explorative and future focussed.