The future of Coaching: 5 trends to watch out for

A reflection on how the world of coaching will develop.

Just over a decade ago, coaching began to take off from being a concept from being a concept heard practically only in the field of large companies to being used in many more areas and situations.

This takeoff of coaching was baptized by many as 'a passing fad'; a clearly erroneous expression seeing how coaching is still talked about today and how it has been its upward evolution in recent years.

Trends that indicate the future of coaching

With the certainty that coaching has already reached cruising speed and that it is clear that it is here to stay, it is time to stop and reflect on what its reality will be in the next decade. By taking a look at studies on the current state of coaching globally, such as the one published annually by ICF since 2007, we can begin to glimpse some trends in the coaching market, we can begin to glimpse some trends in the coaching market, five of which we highlight below.five of which we highlight below.

1. Exponential increase in interest in coaching

As we said at the beginning of the article, at the beginning of the second decade of this century, interest in coaching began to grow exponentially and has continued to do so to date: from 2015 to 2019, the number of people trained in coaching grew by 33%, according to data from the ICF Global Coaching Study 2020.

Predictably, this interest will continue to grow in the coming yearsThis is due to 2 main reasons.

Coaching has more and more scientific backing and therefore more credibility. Prestigious universities such as Harvard, with its creation of the Institute of Coaching, provide quantifiable and measurable data on the achievements obtained through coaching processes, thus increasing confidence in a discipline that was not even considered as such by many.

Coaching is no longer applied only in companies.. Executive coaching, although still the most common, is no longer exclusive. Life coaching has burst onto the scene and is proving that coaching processes can be applied in a multitude of spheres to help people in different life circumstances. Coaching will increasingly be seen as a tool that anyone can turn to in case of blockages of various kinds.

2. The rise of specialization

The trend we are going to talk about now is closely related to the previous one. As the usefulness of coaching in many areas becomes increasingly clear, specialization will grow in parallel.

People who are trained in coaching will also specialize in very specific niches in order to offer higher quality services. in order to be able to offer higher quality services. The more knowledge one has about a particular area, the better the connection and understanding one will be able to have with the coachee.

Thus, for example, in the field of life coaching, which covers such a broad field, we can find more specific coaching focused on achieving good eating habits, changing jobs, accompanying certain diseases, and a long etcetera.

3. Women will be gaining ground

In its beginnings, being so closely linked to the elite of the business world and, in turn, being a field almost exclusively for men, coaching was almost exclusively practiced by the male gender.

Although the evolution is slow, the trend is upward in terms of the number of women who are professionalizing in coaching and practicing as such. and who are practicing as such. In our school, in fact, this is something we have been observing for years, since 80% of our total student body is now female.

4. Technology as an ally

The development of technology is unstoppable and coaching will make use of it to enhance its potential.. Just 5 years ago, even though there was already the possibility of videoconference meetings with platforms such as Zoom or WhatsApp, there was almost 100% reliance on face-to-face coaching sessions.

However, the Coronavirus pandemic has forced the coaching processes to be online, and it has been proven that the reticence about them was not true. Despite the screen, the connection between the coachee and the coach is maintained and the client's commitment and relaxation is increased by being able to carry out the sessions from the comfort of the place chosen by the client.

But it is not only online coaching processes that will grow. Coach training will also increasingly use streaming, which in turn will open up the international market, an opening up of the international market for coaching schools This in turn will open up the coaching schools to the international market, since anyone from anywhere in the world will be able to study coaching at the center of their choice.

Likewise, the connection offered by the Internet will make it possible to increase the number of webinars, conferences and masterclasses on coaching to further disseminate the precepts and methodologies of the discipline.

Y we cannot talk about technology and not think about the influence that social media will also have on the evolution of coaching in general, and on the career development of coaches in particular. in the evolution of coaching in general, and in the career development of coaches in particular. They will find in them the perfect way not only to offer their services or interact with potential leads, but especially to differentiate themselves from other coaches.

5. Increased need for professionalization

Finally, one of the trends in coaching in the coming years will be that more and more professionalization will be required of the people who work in it. That is to say, when it comes to hiring the services of a coach, it will be a decisive factor that he or she has specific certifications..

This trend is already beginning to be noticed and, according to data from the ICF study, in 2019 85% of coaches practicing as coaches already held a professional certification; and 74% of the percentage of former coaches held that certification issued by a professional coaching organization.

In conclusion, coaching far from being dead is more alive than ever and the trends we have described here show that it will be for a long time to come.

Remember that the need for the need to hold a specific certification to be hired as a coach will grow.. If this is the profession you want to dedicate yourself to, remember that at D'Arte Human & Business School we train and help you to become a highly qualified coach. You can see all the information about our educational offer in D'Arte's profile.