In our first blog we laid the foundations of exploration around AI coaching and the unique value add of ‘traditional’ human based coaching. We looked at AI coaching and coaching in the contexts of coaching goals / coaching purpose, coaching outcomes and coaching relationships. In part 2, we continue this, by examining both simple part of the coaching process as well as the more personal and domains which for the foreseeable future are part of the human coaching domain.
Coaching the person, not the problem
This phrase will be common to most coaches, it has been in existence almost as long as the modern interpretation of coaching has. The intent is to remind coaches to focus on the human element, dynamics, growth and change, rather than simply coaching someone to get to a physical solution or end point.
However, it is also hugely pertinent to AI and coaching. It demonstrably helps us realise the value we bring to coaching that AI coaching canât. It shows us where we need to focus our energies and skills in order to be that difference to the AI coach.
AI coaching is great at asking questions such as âwhat could you do here?â, but it wonât consider âwhatâs personally important to you in this situation?â An AI coach can challenge you about a decision, but it canât make a judgement call based on what they as a coach are experiencing and say âI donât believe youâ to the client, or question the perceived truth in something.
The nature of AI coaching questions are often transactional and superficial. They are practical and end game focused. The coach has the ability to go beyond, go deeper, think more personally, three-dimensionally and systemically. The coach might ask more personal questions such as âwhat do you stand for?â, âWhat are you prepared to take responsibility for?â, âWhat does this mean for others around you?â, âWhat kind of team player do you want to be?â, or âHow does that sit with your own values and experiences?â
The ability to explore, unpack, challenge and develop understanding at a fundamentally personal, experience and emotional level is the singular speciality of the coach.
Coaching processes and frameworks
AI coaches can invariably use and navigate coaching processes â GROW, CLEAR or whatever your model, framework or approach of choice is. This is unquestionable. But they donât know when to perhaps let go, abandon or pause a process. When to respond to something the coachee says or expresses. To know when to go off piste, to pick up on something said, to explore an emotion or metaphor, or when something unexpected emerges.
As coaches also have the innate ability to make more nuanced professional judgements. When to challenge, when to be silent, when to refer, testing the waters of the clientâs willingness to change etc. etc. All these require the coach to understand and maximise, context, experience, behaviours, thinking, boundaries and ethics. Decisions that require a holistic appreciation and knowledge of the coachee, their experiences, their emotions, their past, present and future.
Processes and frameworks are great but so much of coaching can involve working with ambiguity and uncertainty of a clientâs situation or thinking. And maybe taking time to explore and clarify the ambiguity. This is where AI coaching struggles, as it prefers coherence and a focus on solving issues. The coachâs ability to recognise, embrace and be comfortable in uncertainty, is quite possibly unique to our human nature.
Coaches can recognise progress in terms of successes, shifts in thinking and behaviours and language. They recognise when the actual coaching might not be bringing the return it once did. They experience when clients exhibit success and joy as well as distress, emotive feelings, discrimination, wrong behaviours or thinking, or misconduct. In all of this the coach has the unique perspective and ability to intervene, support, redirect or suggest specialist support. Or bring the coaching to a natural conclusion.
Coaching dynamics
So much of coaching is not about or in the words that are used by clients. It is about observing and interpreting language, body language, emotions, breathing, energy, silence, tension. AI at present, might be able to observe via videos or recordings, but AI coaching canât interpret and act on these valid and valuable signs, signals and experiences.
Any decent coach will quickly be able to recognise patterns, themes, projections, transference, contradictions and defensiveness. AI coaching doesnât yet have the ability to tease out any psychological understanding or meaning. Yet it is these things which often create significant realisations and learning for clients, the everyday things they have never really noticed or thought about. Whilst many new coaches struggle with silence, maturer coaches can learn to determine when they need to embrace and sit with the silence, or hold the space for the benefit of the coachee. Of course, AI chatbots can replicate silence, but not process the meaning of it or the importance of it.
Many coaching conversations and situational dynamics, will touch upon power dynamics in a situation, conversation or the organisation. Coaches can understand and process the meaning of power in all its guises, whereas AI can only recognise that power can exist differently at different levels, e.g. CEO power versus employee power. Similarly, AI canât quite create situations through their presence, language and emotion that can empower clients to feel differently about themselves, to reinforce that or celebrate it.
John Whittington in his book Systemic Coaching and Constellations (2020) talks about systems past and present which we have and do belong to. And about organising principles, of time, place and exchange and the interplay between them with us. Today there is an increased recognition that the answers to so much of our work and organisational issues, lie in the relationship dynamics in our lives and workplace. Only the human coach presently can navigate the 12(?) dimensional chess boards of peopleâs livesâŠ
Moral and ethical matters
An interesting area for AI coaching, but a challenge for it too. AI coaching can readily identify ethical principles and generate alternatives. It can help show the ideal or ârightâ things. But moral and ethical situations with people are rarely linear, are often complex, nuanced, messy and highly personal. Absolutely no one size fits all.
This is where the coach has a clear advantage. AI might be able to identify the skills and behaviours required to be a leader, but less likely to consider âwhat type of leader do you want or need to be?â or, what does an authentic leader look like for a particular individual leader or person? AI can identify that there might be competing ethical issues in a situation, but it cannot make moral decision for a client, or, take moral responsibility for a decision.
Similarly, AI coaching also struggles with conflicts of interest. In these situations, there are 3 variables – the person, the coach and the organisation, all of which must be navigated. Here AI cannot simply apply a rule to be right or help make the right decision. Yet the coach has the insight and ability to observe, ‘poke’, explore, test and help the client formulate a choice that they are comfortable with within their own values and beliefs system.
Getting our arms around AI and coaching
The best time to consider this area of AI coaching was yesterday, the second best time is today. This area is not going away, is not going to get easier, so as coaches we need to get our arms around it more. How to build it into our businesses and coaching practice? How to use with and position it with our clients? What considerations do we need to consider before positioning AI coaching as a ‘magic pill’ for our organisations? Yes AI is a game changer in so many ways, but there are many unknown unknowns around it at present.
We need to have and keep our fingers on the pulse of AI and where it is going in our industry, rather than ‘I will get to it later’. Coaching in it’s present guise is a relatively new and growing profession, so to have a revolution occur around it now, presents both key challenges and opportunities.
Nick Howell is an Executive Coach, Facilitator and Author of best selling book âGreat Coaching Questionsâ. From leadership and coaching development, to âsoftâ skills to establishing mentoring in organisations, he is passionate about people development and changing peopleâs thinking and behaviours to achieve improved performance. Contact him today for a chat about adding further value to your organisationâs people development. Speak to him on 07867 785314 or nick@abintus.co.uk