The massive changes brought about by the COVID 19 pandemic has led companies, institutions, and professionals alike to adapt to a new way of working and learning. One of the industries that has received a growing level of attention in the personal and professional development space is Coaching, as seen in the latest survey commissioned by Benchmark Consulting, the Philippines’ pioneer in integrated coaching, training and consulting solutions.
Following its successful Coaching Study in 2018, Benchmark Consulting conducted another survey this year through Kantar, the world’s leading data and insights company. “The intent of the study is to find out how the professional coaching practice has progressed in the areas of life coaching and corporate coaching in the Philippines, especially in light of the pandemic.”, explains Benchmark Consulting Founder and CEO, Julius Ordoñez.
Over 5,000 respondents were approached to complete the required sample sizes of coachees, and results show that while there is still a lot of room for growth, the incidence of participation in coaching has increased since 2018, from a 3% to a 6% uptake in 4 years. Majority of these respondents who have undergone coaching are noted to be millennials, living in the National Capital Region (NCR) and working full-time in middle-management.
Common objectives for coaching across all segments included holistic Improvement, with leadership and its varying applications at the center. For Life Coachees, top objectives included work-life balance, self-awareness, and overall health and well-being. On the other hand, Corporate Coachees aimed to improve their leadership and communication skills, team effectiveness, interpersonal skills, and overall work performance. The most interesting outcome of the study, however, is that aside from achieving their original objective, all coachees reported that they were also able to fortify and improve other complementary skills that aided in their personal and professional growth and served as a means to accomplish the goal. For example, by working on one’s leadership skills, one also improves his or her communication and relational skills in the process, both of which are complementary and requisite for effective leadership.
This finding, among others, supports the thrust of professional coaching to be seen not as a corrective intervention but as one of the best methods of learning and development available today.
