Magazine: Coaching then and now – a look back over 21 years

When I started out, people didn’t know what coaching was – they used to think I had something to do with buses. In fact, if you searched for a coach, you’d get listings for bus and coach transport companies. In 2007 The ICF Global Study believed there to be around 30,000 to 50,000 coaches worldwide, compared with the 2023 figures of 109,200 coaches worldwide.

It’s hard to believe how much coaching has changed in the past decades. For most people, the changes have been subtly non-detectable, as the benefits of coaching have continued to be positive and well-documented, even if the focus and delivery of coaching have evolved.

When I reflect on my coaching journey back in March 2002 with The Coaches Training Institute (CTI), I notice that the topics of conversation in coaching have gone much deeper and more introspective. Back then, clients came with personal development, life issues, or a specific work focus, with hardly anyone asking for well-being support. Compare that today, when clients present their needs using terminology such as imposter syndrome, trauma, triggers, or explaining their neurodiverse needs within minutes of meeting.

Back in 2002, I felt confident around the boundaries of who to coach, and when to refer a client to a therapist or other support provider. However, today, I believe the line between coach and counselor has shifted, with today’s coach having to be more informed, with a more rounded training portfolio of skills that support the complex needs many of our clients present to us.

CPD has been a constant in my coaching journey, and I’d seek out generalist training that I felt complimented my previous coaching training. However today, and especially since Covid, my training focus has become more client needs-based and, at times, niche-specific. Being part of the ICF community has allowed me to be more future-focused on my skills development.

Looking back, how I marketed myself has radically changed over the past 21 years. Back then, much of my time was spent educating what coaching was and was not, which I did by doing sample sessions or running free live events, often in local libraries. There was no real social media, so promotion was by website, word of mouth, notice boards, and internal and external directories. Today’s coach must be digitally smart, video-ready, snap-chat happy, and be willing to be visible in multiple ways. With more coaches to choose from, standing out from the crowd has become ever more important.

Thinking back to who I was as a coach in my early 30s, full of belief and conviction for this new industry I am pleasantly surprised that my feelings have hardly changed. I am as passionate about the benefits of coaching as before, with even more anecdotal evidence to sway any naysayers. But more importantly, I’ve witnessed an industry that, like me, has matured to be a professional business to be proud of.

Kate Flory

Leadership & Mental Fitness Coach