‘Only highly trained and committed coaches will survive’: ActionCOACH shares how coaching is changing in 2024

Businesses that don’t adapt quickly enough have struggled throughout history. In response to the evolving landscape, ActionCOACH is prioritizing future-proofing.

Once, entrepreneurs all operated according to their internal compass. Some failed, some succeeded. If your instincts weren’t right, your time in the sun ended.

What if there was a viable opportunity to share knowledge with other businesses?

Australian Brad Sugars came to that revelation and built the global leader in business coaching off the back of it. James Vincent, the coach of coaches for ActionCOACH UK, now leads the company across the trails Sugars blazed, including some he never could have foreseen.

“Coaching is booming, yet it’s unregulated,” James says. “Only highly trained and committed coaches in the right environment will survive.”

While it can be transformational, business coaching is comparable to any other service; customers pay money to achieve a particular result. Ensuring outcomes are consistent across individual leaders, companies, industries, and countries is the challenge before ActionCOACH. And it’s taking it head-on.

Moulding a market

Consumers are more prudent than ever, especially when deciding who to surround themselves with to catalyse their growth. In a sector governed by LinkedIn bios and client testimonials, ActionCOACH redefines how coaching can regulate itself.

“In the UK alone, we have 70 full days per year of training, education, and support for a coach,” James states. “Everyone has to be qualified and pass certain courses each year. It’s as regulated as it can be for an organisation—if we can regulate this industry, we will.”

Beyond the significant time allocation for vital development days, the calendar doesn’t limit ActionCOACH’s training program. Its coaches can access live interactive support from high-level professionals anytime, providing continuous micro-level education.

Building blooming businesses

James Vincent has been in the coaching industry his ‘whole life.’ Now, he’s laying the foundations for ActionCOACH UK’s flourishing network.

He credits the company’s success to three core time-honoured components. The first is necessary for any company, from aspirational start-ups to mega conglomerates: getting business.

“It sounds good to coach business owners and organisations,” James says. “The reality is you’ve got to acquire them first.”

Endless expenditure on lead generation and marketing is pointless if it exceeds the revenue a new client brings. The tides of global commerce may have changed, but profitability remains non-negotiable in the ActionCOACH philosophy.

Skilling up systematically

The trends many expect to snowball in 2024—primarily AI and its effects on efficiency and productivity—are widely documented. But they represent a revolution of tools, not of the individual characteristics that have defined entrepreneurial success for generations.

Skills are, therefore, a primary focus for ActionCOACH. Equipping its coaches with the latest ways to scale a business, retain clients, listen, understand, and provide accountability is fundamental to sustaining its success.

“50 years from now, no matter what’s happening with technology, the best coaches in the world will be those able to create emotional changes in their clients,” James affirms.

The UK Performance Director also recognises the fundamental difference between information and implementation. Reading countless books on a subject won’t affect your life if you don’t act on the newfound knowledge.

ActionCOACH has over 3,500 evolving systems available to its coaches to respond to each client’s needs. It accounts for technological developments not by using them as buzzwords on social media but by implementing them into marketing systems and sales strategies.

“Those embracing automation and incorporating it into their leadership philosophy will progress the fastest,” James illustrates.

Wielding a worldwide wealth of wisdom

Often, a company’s greatest asset is its origins. Brad Sugars wanted to distribute methodologies from individual organisations to the world for the first time. The company he founded is now ready for the future due to its globally accessible knowledge base.

ActionCOACH has over 1,000 coaches with experience in different areas—a long leap since its foundation by the Australian Brad Sugars. If a client from an unfamiliar sector approaches one, they can employ the insights of any of their peers, empowered by their collective identity and the ability to tackle any challenge.

“Our interconnected root system is the key to our sustainability and longevity,” James explains. “We have to know what’s working faster than the rest of the marketplace and communicate that to the organisations we coach.”

So, while the fine details may be starker than ever, 2024 will likely form another instalment on the tapestry of business coaching through time.

Businesses that do not adapt may struggle with the pace of change. Well-coached businesses will likely emerge as leaders. Meanwhile, coaching companies that do not grasp technological advancements may face difficulties.

James Vincent believes it’s up to business owners to demonstrate the speed, agility, and leadership necessary to survive. “Embrace coaching,” he says. “It might be too late if you don’t.”