Origins of Coaching
Coaching today plays an important role in a variety of different industries and for a variety of different people. Coaches can be found across commercial, public and voluntary sectors as well as supporting different skill sets at different levels within an organization.
Although the role of coach has changed over time, some examples of research papers on business coaching show that between the late 1930s and the late 1960s, some forms of internal coaching in organizations were already present; i.e. managers (or supervisors) also acted as coaches to their staff. Arguably other professions such as psychology, psychotherapy, counselling and management deliver coaching to a greater or lesser extent.
The evolution of coaching has been influenced by and enhanced through the incorporation of pertinent maxims from other fields of study including personal development philosophies, adult education practices, elements of psychology (sports, clinical, developmental, organizational, social and industrial) and other organizational or leadership principles. Since the mid 1970s coaching has developed into a more independent discipline and has a set of training standards. The Behavioral Coaching Institute (BCI) and the International Coach Federation (ICF) are professional bodies that provide training and ethical standards for certified coaches. BCI's Graduate School of Master Coaches trains and certifies qualified professionals via it's invitational Master Coach Course which is recognised world-wide (graduates from over 50 countries).