It seems the coaching industry is continuing to rise, and with the industry’s largest trade association, the International Coach Federation (ICF) estimating that 41,300 active coaching professionals worldwide generated nearly $2 billion in annual revenue, it doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down anytime soon.
At present, the ICF has a total of 27,000 members within its association across 131 countries, with their statistics released last year indicating that 85% per cent of participants that had been in a coaching relationship at some time in their life were somewhat satisfied.
So why has there been a coaching boom within the UK?
Predominantly, there are two broad categories under the term ‘coaching’, both of which I specialise in. These are business or professional coaching, and life coaching and actually both of these have similarities in how they are taught. That’s because all coaching allows people to shift their thinking into a much more positive mind set, limiting the negative influences around them, which can actually be really helpful to someone looking to make changes in both their personal and business lifestyles.
However, although the coaching industry boom seems to have come over much more recent years, the whole concept of coaching isn’t new, with such practises being involved in business management even back in the 1990s. Since then, people have made a name for themselves as business and personal coaches, some of which have claimed fame from their motivational speeches.
Why it’s important that executive coaches are part of a professional association?
When choosing an executive or personal coach, it’s important that you look for someone who has the right qualifications and experience. To find out which coaches have this, you should look to see if they are a part of a coaching professional association, to ensure that they will be qualified to professionally offer credible advice.
At present, I am a Professional Certified Coach, certified by the International Coach Federation. This means that I have undergone training set by the ICF, have experience coaching at least 25 different clients at a high level and have completed assessments that are required by the association.
So what is the point of an executive coach, and how does it help people?
Coaches can be extremely beneficial for people looking for more guidance either in their personal or business life. Although we aren’t mentors nor therapists, our role is to act as a resourceful confidant, looking to help people make goals, and help them reach them through practical strategies. That means we work in the present, allowing people to access their goals using their own skills.
Finding the right coach
If you are looking into hiring a business or personal coach then the below steps could help you find the right person for you:
- Talk to a number of coaches before making your decision
- Ask coaches about their backgrounds, qualifications and experience
- Ask how the coaching session will be conducted
- Find the right coach for your budget
- Discuss your goals and commitment
- Client references
- Discuss privacy
Anne Taylor is an experienced professional and personal coach based in London. For more information on my experience, please get in touch by calling 02031 516 830.
