ICF releases updated 2025 Core Competencies

The Coaching Industry's Operational Crisis The data from the coaching sector is undeniable. Average coaching practice failure rate: 68% within first 3 years. Not because of poor coaching skills—because of operational collapse. The Time Allocation Problem: Industry study of 847 coaching practices revealed: → 28 hours weekly: Administrative operations → 12 hours weekly: Actual coaching Coaches spending 70% of time on non-coaching tasks. What's Consuming Their Time: Traditional coaching operations require: → Manual client intake (2 hours per client) → Session planning from scratch (45 min per session) → Content creation (5-8 hours weekly) → Financial tracking via spreadsheets (3 hours weekly) → Marketing material development (6 hours weekly) The Breaking Point: Two coaches with identical expertise and results: Coach A: Automated operational infrastructure Coach B: Manual everything 12 months later: Coach A: 40 clients, $280K revenue, 35-hour work week Coach B: 12 clients, $84K revenue, 58-hour work week (then quit) Why Kingdom AI Tools Exists: After 20 years training 20,000+ entrepreneurs, the pattern became impossible to ignore. Talented practitioners quitting not because they couldn't coach—because operational burden was unsustainable. Built 112 AI-powered applications that handle every non-coaching task: → Client onboarding automation → Financial tracking and invoicing → Marketing system generation → Session planning frameworks → Content calendar automation → Progress monitoring dashboards The Infrastructure Gap: Most coaching software is generic business tools adapted poorly. These are purpose-built for coaching operations. Start with 4 free tools: → Client Intake Form Generator → Session Timer with auto-notes → Habit Tracker Builder → Goal Setting Worksheet → Zero credit card. Unlimited use. The Question for Coaching Professionals: Your next quarter won't be limited by coaching ability. It'll be limited by operational capacity. The gap between operationally-equipped and manually-struggling coaches is widening exponentially. Which infrastructure are you building on? https://lnkd.in/e7zUsYi3

Joel DiGirolamo has a great take on high touch/tech hybrid coaching that is valuable for coaches wanting to build their mental models leveraging AI. The only area I wonder about is for extremely price sensitive markets like I encountered as an expat in India at Infosys , I know some markets are very sensitive to the cost. The amazing Dartmouth Therabot study surprised me with the Working Alliance results, suggesting a market in AI-only coaching that threatens junior coaches (ACC) https://lnkd.in/g77H9J2H

Interesting commentary by Joel DiGirolamo which triggered me to reflect further on on the recent post by Jazz Rasool about using AI for assessing coaching against the International Coaching Federation core competencies. From my experiments I have found it more accurate and valuable to focus the prompting on analysing a transcript for evidence and factual events (talk time ratios, repetition, instances of use of client words by the coach) which are easier to prompt accurately for. Then the assessor, or coach doing self evaluation, can contemplate the match to the core competencies, behavioural statements, minimum skills documents etc. This avoids the hallucination effect of ai and keeps it at the data analysis level by not asking it to then “decide “ what standard is demonstrated.

Hey coaches--here's a 💡💡💡💡💡for you. What if an AI-powered coach could actually enhance and deepen your client's experience with you? I really appreciate Joel DiGirolamo's short piece on the way AI can *expand* a client's experience with their coach. One point in particular that stands out to me: A chatbot or avatar may be a useful tool that clients can employ to test ideas with as a supplement to human coaching sessions. Coaching services tools can fill in the gaps between coaching sessions, and they can provide summaries to update a coach on a client’s progress. Anyone tried this yet as a supplemental service to their coaching practice?

"AI can help human coaches with administrative tasks or provide clients with initial frameworks for reflection. But it should never be seen as a replacement for human coaches." All technology is morally neutral. But it must serve human needs! https://lnkd.in/esPed_8B

Over the last few months I have been reading, listening and watching with interest how AI is evolving and impacting our world at pace. This is my reflections (at the moment) from a coaching perspective. In a world of one click, AI and pressure of time, a new bias has appeared. Automation bias Automation bias is the tendency for people to over-rely on quick automated systems and use, select or agree with suggestions from systems such as AI apps. It has been shown to still be the case when the response or suggestion contradicts other available information, people’s previous experiences and existing decision making. I think the bias could be significant in coaching as people are increasingly using AI in their everyday life, many coaches are short of time and often follow a ‘just in time’ approach to their planning whether this is for activities, sessions, meetings and even interactions with others. Using AI to speed up thinking time, suggest ideas and practices based on a prompt or script can be helpful it reduces the need for critical thinking and reduces people’s professional judgement and considering their context (who they coach, when they coach, their philosophy and approaches, and the environment) into the decision making. The biases are more likely to impact if… #1. Coaches are under time pressure Coaches are often volunteers, under time and workload pressures and cognitive load (work, life, family) is high. This is very relevant when exploring new areas of coaching and aspects they are unfamiliar with. #2. Coaches are used to using the web and social media for solutions in everyday life. #3. Coaches have lack of experience or are new to coaching. This final point is crucial as a new or inexperienced coach is less likely to filter and consider the information, approach or activity suggested. What are your thoughts on a world where we can’t ignore AI, yet we need to use if carefully and effectively in your coaching practice.

What are the Top 20 ways coaches are leveraging AI? Ironically, ChatGPT won't be able to produce this list when I tested it; only human coaches can ~ because that is what they actually do. Maybe there will come a time when these 2 lists converge, but for now, I'll stick with the 'human list' (mine included) compiled by Forbes Coaches Council. What are your thoughts on this as AI evolves? #AI #Forbes #coaching #humanconnection #coachtom https://lnkd.in/gkiFfXWm

Last week I wrote here about something I feel strongly about: AI should coach the next generation of professionals, not replace them. But the big question is: what does that look like in practice? At Ravical we try to give one answer with Coaching Mode. It takes something as simple as sending emails to clients and turns it into a chance to learn. Routine questions become guided tasks for juniors, and complex matters ensure seniors are looped in to give their final touches. For me this is the role AI can play: not a black box that produces drafts, but a coach that makes expertise easier to share and easier to learn from. If you want to read more about it: https://lnkd.in/eb3rTFzP

In “AI and the Future of Executive Coaching,” I argue that AI won’t replace "humans" executive coaches but that it will expose the gaps in ego, promise, and practice. Machines demand accountability, strip away performative coaching, and force us to confront our blindspots and where AI excels. Only then can we fully grasp our human edge. Hiddn Intelligence https://lnkd.in/eGJDe7xA

AI won't replace coaching — but it will reshape expectations of what great coaching looks like. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AjZRK #AI #AIInCoaching #AICoach #Coaching #HumanElement