AI and coaching - Is technology disrupting coaching?

April 14, 2021. Harry Welby-Cooke

“The robots are coming and they’re going to take over our world!”

We’ve hardly got to grips with the 4th Industrial Revolution and there’s already the 5th Industrial Revolution being bandied about. People everywhere are trying to cope with, and understand, everything from the Internet of Things, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Blockchain, Crypto, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Pre-COVID we were bombarded with the need for disruption and now we can’t stop hearing enough about the need to ‘pivot’. Surely machines are going to take over everything and if that’s the case obviously coaching will be next?!

Well, let’s first calm down to mild panic and take some time to reflect. The world was already changing at a fast pace before the COVID-19 chaos and thanks to that little virus the rate of change has just gone through the roof. Humans have been ‘forced’ to adapt much quicker than would normally have been the case and everything is much better for it. Or is it?

Cracks are already starting to show and everything from mental health to overwhelm to fatigue to separation anxiety and a whole lot else is already getting worse. Humans are struggling with the rate of change and due to digital and social media influences, it’s becoming harder to maintain perspective.

So where does that leave coaching and will technology and in particular AI disrupt the industry?

My view is that the more the world changes, the faster it absorbs the full extent of the 4th Industrial Revolution - the more the demand for personalized, individual and one-to-one coaching will increase.

Google already has all the world’s answers and YouTube already has the instructional step-by-step video tutorial for everything the human race knows. So why don’t humans use the readily available information to either cope or thrive? As complexity and pace of change increases, we’ll need MORE assistance to cope, let alone thrive.

Obviously, there will be the simplistic elements of coaching that can be catered for using technology. Already online learning and AI is being used at the more elemental training level. The sharing of information will most certainly be across a variety of technology platforms. Sadly though, coaching is becoming the buzzword for all human development interventions. It’s just not the case. Recently someone told me they had a new Switchboard Operator that needed coaching.

Nonsense! She needed proper induction, training and management.

Coaching at its core deals with the more complex and that will remain. I’m excited to know that we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface in coaching.

The more we change as a society, the more the demand for coaching will increase. Entrepreneurs in particular are called upon every day to adapt faster, master more elements and still stay sane. The future of our business is therefore rosy. More AI, more technological disruption and there’ll be more business coaching the ActionCOACH way. Can’t wait!

Perhaps it’s time you consider where your current business or role is going. Perhaps it’s also time to ‘Get in ACTION!’hen considering going into any business for yourself you should, actually no you MUST, focus on two critical elements:

Remember as a business owner you will have two roles. Make absolutely sure you’re remunerated for BOTH!

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