Coaching – A Possible Future?

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of speaking with a colleague and friend, Gerry Ryan, a Leadership Coach from Ireland. Gerry’s leadership in the Irish Coaching Community over the past several years helped bring various coaching bodies together to define common purpose and further develop the awareness and presence of professional coaching around the country.

I am including a writing here that Gerry shared with me when we spoke. There are so many possibilities coaching opens up in the world. At the core is our own development, awakening and learning. We welcome your comments!

Coaching – A Possible Future?
Gerry Ryan, PCC, MICF

All of us involved in coaching are only too well aware of the powerfully positive impact it has on us as coaches, clients and as people. We have the regular experience of how good it is to be with groups of coaches when we are all authentic and accessing the best of ourselves.

We recognize that this is the impact of being guided by values of trust, respect and non-judgment. Of working from the belief that each person is creative, resourceful and whole and of applying the premise that they are responsible for their own lives, decisions, growth, actions, etc.

We are equally aware of the rapid development and growth of coaching worldwide over the past twenty to thirty years or more and how the questions of what it is, how to define it, how to talk about it, how to explain it and how to categorize it continue to occupy practitioners on a regular basis. Coaching associations work to develop standards, professionalism and credibility while the debate as to whether it should be a ‚Äòprofession’ rages on.

Those of us who are open or awakening to our spirituality (I suspect this might be a growing number) and who access the guidance of your angels and spiritual guides might also be noticing some interesting patterns:

ÔÉò There is an apparent rapid development and growth in spirituality worldwide going on over the past twenty to thirty years or more with more and more people awakening to this part of their being and the interconnectedness of everything

ÔÉò That our angels and spiritual guides are with us in a way that is characterized by unconditional love, nonjudgment, trust and respect. A knowing that we are creative, resourceful and whole and absolute adherence to the principle of our free will.

ÔÉò They work with us to help us develop, grow and achieve our life/soul purpose. They never tell us what to do, they provide us with and use our experiences, helping us to reflect and learn from them.

ÔÉò They work at our pace with infinite patience and are always there for us.

There is, in summary, a striking parallel between both coaching and spirituality in terms of what is happening in both and how they are lived or practiced.

Is this just a major coincidence or is something else going on here?

Is it that ‚Äòcoaching’ is our way of being with each other when we are fully spiritually awakened and connected?

Maybe the true purpose of coaching is to help all people be with each other in this way all of the time.

Maybe that highly trained and accredited ‚Äòcoaches’ are here to enable and support ‚Äònormal’ people in their struggles with this challenge in life, business, organizations, etc.

Maybe that ‚Äòcoaches’ are the new human ‚Äòspiritual guides’ in our future as a society, a people and as human beings.

Maybe that these ‚Äòcoaches’ are the ones who need to be professional – well trained, accredited and availing of supervision – to perform this role.

That the rest of humanity just need to be trained, supported and enabled to be with each other in a way that is characterized by unconditional love, nonjudgment, trust and respect, acceptance that we are all creative, resourceful and whole and absolute adherence to the principle of free will.

? ? ? …………….

What this means for what we do with coaching and how we guide its ongoing development is a case for dialogue between all its stakeholders. I trust this might prompt a thought or two and add value to the ongoing dialogue.

Gerry Ryan
7TH April 2009