Coaching: what major developments have occurred in recent years?

After appearing nearly 40 years ago in France, coaching has experienced a real acceleration in the last ten years. Globally, between 2015 and 2019, the number of professional coaches increased by more than 34%. If this figure is increasing, it is primarily because demand from businesses is increasing. Formerly perceived as a last resort in the event of a manager in difficulty, coaching is now a method highly acclaimed by companies that want to increase the potential of their Talents. This recognition by HR professionals is largely due to the work of federations such as EMCC, which have been working for years to make coaching visible and credible. Gabriel Hannes, certified professional coach and supervisor, chaired the EMCC from 2016 to 2021. We asked him what, in his opinion, were the major developments that have taken place in coaching in recent years.

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Coaching has become considerably professionalized

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If it could be perceived as a bit “mysterious” when it appeared in France, it is today taken very seriously by all HR Managers of the largest international companies. And this is for one major reason: the professionalization of actors in this sector.

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The training courses to become a professional coach have evolved

HEC, Transformance, INSEAD... the certifying structures have multiplied, structured and solidified. Today, you can no longer declare yourself as a professional coach if you have not followed rigorous training in one of these coaching schools recognized by the State. Although you can't prevent anyone from doing this job, HR Managers have such a keen knowledge of coaching that it allows them to distinguish a “self-certified” coach from a coach. certified by a serious training. Beyond the training aspect, what makes a professional coach competent is his manager/executive experience, of course. It is also essential for a coach to to be constantly trained and of course to be regularly supervised.

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‍Read also: “How to choose the right coach”

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Demand from businesses and talent has exploded.

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Our organizations have become today extremely complex : digitalization, new ways of working, globalization, etc... Whether you are a director, manager or collaborator, we need more and more to ask ourselves, to take a step back, to question ourselves in a demanding daily life. The fact of being able to benefit from the mirror effect of a coach to reflect on one's posture and professional challenges is now very much sought after. 99% of coached people say they are satisfied of their experience. This is proof that coaching works and allows you to achieve your goals. These elements mean that today, we can say that the coaching profession has an extraordinary future!

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Coaching methods have adapted to the reality of organizations and Talents.

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Individual coaching

When coaching emerged, the population supported individually were mostly made up of managers. Then, gradually, with the evolution of the needs of organizations, coaching “descended” into the strata of companies: HR functions, managers, field managers, support functions, employees... Today, any Talent, regardless of their function, can potentially be accompanied by a professional coach.

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Team coaching

After starting by supporting individuals, it quickly became clear that it was becoming essential. to support ecosystems. Starting with the teams! We are in a An era where teams evolve quickly, operate transversely, etc... They must therefore quickly increase your skills : create high quality interactions. It is for this objective that the team coach intervenes:

• Performance team coaching
• Team building coaching: work on the quality of life within the team, on the quality of interactions and relationships.

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As far as team support is concerned, a new modality has emerged, it This is “Team Consistency” or Team Coherence.

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Read also: “Team coaching: a process at the service of collective performance”.

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Team Consistency/Team Coherence

In addition to using the competence of a professional coach, it is a question of requesting the first competence of the coach. For example, a coach who has worked in marketing, finance or other fields can go a step further in supporting his client. During our interview, Gabriel Hannes, who worked in finance before becoming a coach, accompanied a CFO. He realized that the indicators chosen by the Management endangered the sustainability of the company. They therefore, by calling on external experts and consultants, worked together to “bring the financial team back into line” with the organization.

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Organization and complex systems coaching

It is a question of putting a complex system, for example an organization, another complex system of the same order, in front of it. For example, project owner coaches, consultants, business experts who will interact with the other system (the organization). All this is led by a professional coach who will conduct interviews with the accompanying team of coaches, ensure that the same objectives are pursued and achieved. This requires a very high level of seniority and a very high level of expertise on the part of professional coaches. Since its creation, coaching has established itself as a reference tool in terms of team support. The modalities are multiplying and the demand is constantly increasing.