Recording of the Keynote from the ICF Bengaluru Charter Chapter 's ICW Webinar

I am delighted to share the recording of the Keynote from the ICF Bengaluru Charter Chapter 's International Coaching Week Webinar, titled, 'Coaching Reimagined - An Organizational Perspective'

An organisation can be constantly retouched and brushed up with coaching. The ideas, behaviours and practices in a company’s vision and objectives can be effectively guided by coaching’s continuous learning, knowledge exchange and feedback. Hence Coaching itself also has to reinvent and think of newer avenues. In a dynamic world, especially after the pandemic, organisations will have to be one step ahead and coaching has to be two steps ahead.

Artificial Intelligence and Coaching

The panel’s keynote speaker was Harry Novic, member of ICF’s ‘AI Coaching Standards Work Group’ and founder and CEO of Rocky.AI. His ideas were centred on

?‘AI Powered Coaching’, expanding on Artificial Intelligence (AI), a topic we hear and see quite often now because of its ubiquity in many sectors and the potential changes it has for the coaching world. According to Harry, AI is not a product but an enabling technology. The same goes for coaching as a catalyst to an organisation. Coaching can be an enabler to the different levels of employees, managers and seniors, bringing in required changes and outcomes.

The functions of AI such as Natural Language Processing, Image/ Video Recognition, Sentiment Analysis and Diagnosis can apply to the field of Coaching.

Sentiment Analysis, for example, can detect context and select valid points in a conversation, helping coach and coachee to focus on reaching a solution. The Diagnosis function of AI assists in detecting behavioural patterns based on existing data. Which in turn helps to reach recommendations by the coach.

Where can Artificial Intelligence be applied in Coaching?

The functions of AI can help in specific areas such as Training, Insights, Outsource Process and Automated Coaching.

Using the technology of AI, conversations and behaviour can be analysed and used in Training. Insights can be gained in a three step process of pre-assessing client profile, analysing fractions during coaching and then measuring client behaviour for suitable feedback.

Based on the above, certain processes can be set up as such as onboarding, goal setting, constant observation etc?

From Trending to Tenable

The good news is that these are no longer just concepts which are fashionable to read about but functioning services. Much like the enabler which Harry explained about earlier.

Interactive Applications by Remente provides functionalities like habit forming quizzes through its app, prompts by email for a set goal. Scheduled Coaching by Quenza runs on a sort of time table which can be weekly schedules of tasks, reports and reminders. Ovida performs its functions by way of sentiment assessment and scoring system.

Rocky. AI’s Conversational AI Coaches has some very interesting features like voice bots and avatars who provide coaching conversations to individuals or teams as needed.

BetterUp, Torch and Skillsoft offer AI and VR-based coaching.?Mursion uses avatars for coaching with some great results.

Leadx's vision is that “every manager deserves a coach”. The company combines behavioural science, artificial intelligence and expert knowledge?to improve leadership behaviours, employee performance and productivity with AI-powered nudging, coaching and learning.

Woebot is a self-care expert that can help to think through matters and coachee situations with step-by-step guides using tools from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Disruptor and Puzzle solver

According to many popular surveys and strides in the past years, eminent researchers?talk about how Artificial Intelligence has become a disruptor, albeit a good disruptor as it has overhauled the nature of coaching. Roughly the disruptions can be in two categories -

1. Intelligent assessment that makes the use of AI to identify and note the areas needed for improvement. AI is also used here to see the preferences of the learner or the coachee and through many data points understand the learning style
2. AI is then used to match you smartly with a coach. Thus AI provides a good fit and last piece to solving the puzzle.

Some other benefits of Artificial Intelligence in Coaching :

One step ahead of rigid organisational policies - Some organisations rely on guesswork, appraisals or waiting for the employee to indicate he or she needs a coach. An AI-driven platform removes?this concern and makes it easy for organisations to start and embed?coaching programs within its structure. Using advanced technology in such a platform, the right coach-coachee pairings can be made taking the needs of the learner and other variables at stake.

Filling performance gaps with coaching -Instead of relying on yearly appraisal or feedback or a tightly dictated schedule, an AI evolved coaching can point out gaps when they occur and not wait for any organisational time table.

Influencing Coaching in recruitment -The role of AI in recruitment is already a reality and AI will be integrated increasingly in management and leadership thus changing and being an influence in?the coaching practice for them. Some examples in the field of recruitment: Pymetrics and Hirevue.

Perform administration tasks ?- Artificial intelligence helps out with the administration tasks required in coaching. These can be anything from help with algorithms, scheduling etc

Diversity -In this changing world of firmer principles , organisations need to show diversity in the workplace. Coaching can take the help of AI to tackle where diversity is lacking and take initiatives accordingly.

I am grateful to everyone in the audience that stayed engaged in the discussion, shared their perspectives and asked like a zillion questions!