The replacement of many coaches, commoditisation of coaching and loss of the ‘human touch’ are some potential downsides of adoption of new technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), according to a group of prominent industry thinkers and contributors surveyed by Coaching at Work.
By Liz Hall
The predictions come as more research highlights the widespread impact AI will have in the workplace generally. Up to 800 million global workers will lose their jobs by 2030 and be replaced by robotic automation, according to a study by consultancy McKinsey Global Institute of 46 countries and 800 occupations.
Tasks carried out by mortgage brokers, paralegals, accountants and some back-office staff are especially vulnerable to automation, while jobs with human interaction such as doctors, lawyers, teachers and bartenders are less so, suggests McKinsey’s report.
Lise Lewis, president of EMCC International, acknowledged it’s still unclear exactly how new technology will impact coaching and mentoring: “AI can be seen as a threat to the mentoring, coaching and supervision industries where we’re not sure yet just exactly how our market will be affected,” she said.
Sally Bonneywell, director of Bonneywell Development (and former head of coaching at GSK) said, “Simplistic ‘electronic coaches’ could replace human interaction. Coaching [could] become commoditised and something that robots can do.”
Executive coach Jackee Holder said, “Some coaches won’t engage and could potentially get left behind. AI is a looming threat and coaches will need to respond to the impact and fallout for employees who will be directly impacted from AI.”
Executive coach Carol Braddick said that challenges facing the profession and practitioners include “that we demonise technology, let our fear of disruption become larger than the disruption, eschew the opportunities to blend human and digital coaching and treat this as an either/or choice rather than appreciate the polarity.”
Certainly, according to those surveyed by Coaching at Work, new technology will bring positives too. These include fostering greater creativity and innovation, easier ways of connecting, engaging and interacting, more opportunities for reflection, greater access to coaching for diverse groups, and a bigger platform and voice for coaching, according to those surveyed.
Bonneywell said, “It will potentially create easy ways of connecting and help leaders to connect more with their direct reports.”
“It will get coaching skills into the hands of the many. We have already created an e-learning programme and seen amazing results. Before, in person coach training was only for managers because of the cost, [but] with e-learning, these skills can be given to all employees,” said Tiffany Gaskell, global director of coaching & leadership, Performance Consultants International.
“It will give coaching a much bigger platform and voice. [It can help coaching] get creative and innovative,” said Holder.
Contributors agreed as widespread adoption of AI is inevitable, we should embrace not fight it. “I’m hoping we will clear a path through the extremes of the doom-mongers and evangelists, and support developers of digital tools that demonstrate enlightened self-interest – enlightened about the value and experience of coaching while pursuing profitable business,” said Braddick, who with Bonneywell and others is part of a sub-group of multi-stakeholder Future of Coaching Collaboration Group exploring the impact of technology on the profession.
For a full report, see: News research – A Vision of Things to Come.