The latest trends in executive coaching

The team at Complete undertake hundreds of coaching interventions each year. They work with executives in some of the biggest organisations in the UK and beyond. In this blog, we’ve gathered our coaches’ insights into the latest trends in executive coaching.

It may be obvious to say it, but coaching has changed a lot since the start of the pandemic. And it’s not just about Zoom rather than in-person coaching sessions, the content and focus of coaching has shifted too. Here are the biggest changes our coaches have witnessed in the last two years:

Increased focus on resilience. Workloads and the associated pressure to perform continue to increase for those in the workplace. The added challenges of remote working and the financial pressures of the pandemic placed on many organisations have only exacerbated the problem. It’s no surprise then that developing resilience is a stronger focus for coaching than ever before.

Wellbeing now ranks alongside career development. It used to be the case that the primary focus of most executive coaching interventions was career development. In other words, getting people ready for a move or coaching them through a recent transition. Since the start of the pandemic, wellbeing has moved up the agenda and is now rivalling career development as a primary focus area. 

Greater openness. Good coaches have always encouraged their coachees to talk openly about their feelings, but it has not always come easy to some executives. Our coaches have noticed a clear change in recent years with coaches happier and more willing to talk about their emotions and feelings in a work context. This is to be welcomed as a more fundamental approach to coaching that has greater positive benefits.

More work on team relationships. Perhaps a natural consequence of more remote working, team dynamics seem to have suffered from the lack of face-to-face contact. This is why team coaching is now an increased focus of attention. It’s not only about supporting an individual, but coaching the whole team as they seek to rebuild team cohesion and effectiveness in a virtual working environment. This makes team coaching an increasingly necessary and valued intervention in many organisations.

More focus on change navigation. We’ve always known that change can be hard, but the pandemic has increased the need for flexibility and for organisations to be ready and able to shift strategy at a moment’s notice. This not only requires support for those navigating change, it can also mean high levels of change fatigue. Executive coaching is increasingly turning towards supporting individuals as they navigate change and teaching them strategies to be able to manage their own energy levels through periods of significant upheaval.

Executive coaching doesn’t stand still, but over the last two years we have seen some of the biggest changes ever witnessed by our coaches. Some things in the world of coaching remain the same; great chemistry, a measurable, outcome-based approach and proven strategies that support long-term personal and team improvement. But it’s clear that the ever-shifting sands of our working lives are demanding new approaches and new focus areas for executive coaching interventions – and rightly so.