5 Changes Coaches Should Prepare For

If there’s anything that the business world has taught us over the past few years, it’s that nothing stays the same for very long. The proverbial “wheel of fortune” sends those on top plummeting to the bottom and lifts others to take their place as victors—temporarily anyway. The novelty of the recent past is in how quickly and quietly these changes happen.

As coaches, change is something we’re accustomed to. As an Executive Coach specializing in nonprofits, I feel that change, both planned and “sprung,” is something I take with my morning coffee. Lest we become jaded, here are a few changes coming down the pipe that I believe will quickly, quietly and dramatically change the nature of our profession.

1. Changing goals

Many companies responded to the challenges of a recession economy by assuming the fetal position. Some were able to weather the storm in “survival mode,” while others simply evaporated. NonProfit HelpDesk, where I serve as director, has provided management training and development services to nonprofits for more than 20 years. As of 2009, our executive trainings consisted of corporate bushcraft and deep breathing.

As economic suffering slowly recedes, most organizations are coming out of hibernation ready to be more inventive and enterprising. This “springtime” is a major shift in our clients’ perspective, and requires planning and executing new growth strategies. Add an impending corporate culture gap as inventiveness and creativity become valued over frugality and efficiency and viola! You now play a totally new role.

2. Changing faces

There’s nothing more terrifying than seeing a new face in the corner office, and the terror is spreading rapidly as the generation of baby boomer executives eases into retirement. A new crop of young executives is filling the gap and the only way to avert the drama that accompanies a sloppy, unplanned management change is leadership development and your smiling, happy face.

3. Changing technology

Ever been in a workplace when the Internet went down? Ten years ago, some productivity was still possible—but today? Technology is no longer a part of the workplace, it is the workplace.

Today’s executives don’t need a traditional office in order to accomplish their tasks. Their office is wherever they have their laptop, tablet or iPhone. These execs are both tech-friendly and comfortable with the unconventional. What does that have to do with coaches? Conferencing technology has opened doors in coaching that we never imagined ten years ago, offering affordable and easy client engagement. Conferencing is like a dream come true for my nonprofit clients, for whom tight budget constraints mean that every penny saved on travel counts.

NonProfit HelpDesk has been increasingly turning to teleconferencing to enhance executive training. After working with clients from hundreds of nonprofits, I’ve found that bringing practical results to the client is always challenging. Conferencing technology has given us the ability to partner with clients more or less on-demand, working through stuck points and enacting the solutions we identified during on-site sessions.

4. Changing desires

Virtually all of the nonprofit executives I’ve worked with in recent years are suffering from a measure of corporate post-traumatic stress disorder. Most organizations that have weathered the past several years want to get “leaner and meaner.” They want to know exactly how you will boost their bottom line, and exactly how long it will take (and at what financial cost).

Practically speaking, there may be little difference in how this affects our coaching methodologies, but we must be ready to define and demonstrate success in a context that fits the needs of executives emerging from their recession foxholes.

5. Changing coaches

Remember all of those retiring executives I mentioned before? They’re not simply evaporating. They have tons of experience, and they‘re ready to monetize. With few natural barriers, many are becoming “coaches” and diving into an increasingly saturated marketplace. It hasn’t reached deluge conditions yet, but soon enough it will be tough for the public to single out who among us have the talent and training of truly qualified coaches.

What does that mean for us? While it may have seemed to be of nominal value in years past, partnering with organizations like the ICF will eventually become standard in identifying trusted, professional coaches.

It will also force us to more closely identify our niche clientele and tune very closely into their needs. What area is your “stomping ground,” and how strongly do you own it? Over the past 23 years, I’ve coached a variety of corporate and private clients, but I can confidently say that I “own” the nonprofit sector. What area do you own?

Excellence will always triumph over mediocrity. In order to succeed, we will have to continuously improve ourselves as coaches and prove that there’s more to being a coach than simply hanging out a shingle.