Coaching World Issue 20: Industry Trends & Insights | Page 30

Global Views “What trends or technologies do you see emerging in the next five years that could impact the coaching profession?” “The perfection of face-to-face coaching capability via electronic devices—as well as computer applications that provide motivation and messages customized to individuals—will enable early adopter coaches to expand their reach and offerings. New programmable tools in the form of wearable technology and connected devices that tap the neural synapses of one’s brain will deepen the learning capability and selfaccountability of the coach and the client alike.” —Sandra Hughes, ACC (USA) “As the coaching profession matures, I see two trends that coaches need to embrace. First, we need to stop exchanging time for money. Time is a limited resource. By charging hourly, there is a ceiling to our income and a limit to how many people we can impact. If we want to reach a larger audience and have an unlimited income, we need to start creating passive income through e-books and other products. As well, we need to take the approach of “one to many” instead of “one to one.” This could be training, workshops, speaking engagements and online programs. We also need to embrace automation. If we are serious about running a business, we need to free ourselves up to work “on the business,” not just “in the business.” We need to set aside time and energy to develop long-term strategy and grow our business. Some areas you might consider automating are customer relationship management, email marketing, scheduling and social media management.” —Donna Needs, ACC (United Arab Emirates) “As a team coach supporting IT, I am keen on new trends in the delivery of coaching. I am currently searching for and trying new tools to help virtual teams engage fully in coaching sessions. I have opened up to the use of mobile devices and geolocation, such as Google Maps. Funny as it may sound, creating a personalized map of the team really improves 30 Coaching World relations between members. In the future, I’ll probably increase the use of apps to boost virtual coaching sessions. —Inga Bielińska, PCC (Poland)