#112: Sam Isaacson – The Challenges Facing Coaching in the Age of AI

Sam Isaacson saw the rise of artificial intelligence coming, and he was ready for it. With his background in managing technology risk and change, he could see the impact that rapid AI development would have on his current profession as a coach, and in this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast he addresses some of the most pressing issues facing coaches all over the world.

Very few people are as well placed as Sam to speak about the threats and the benefits AI holds for human coaches. After all, he has developed his own AI coaching product, AICoach.chat, which provides its clients with a “distraction-free space for thinking, challenging and reframing, not reacting”.

In conversation with episode host Neil Mackinnon, Sam addresses questions of ethics, efficacy and economy that have been brought to bear on the coaching industry by the rise of products like his.

The coach, author and founder of The Coachtech Collective offers his perspective on the qualitative difference between being coached by a human and an AI, and the crucial question of what role relationship plays in successful coaching engagements.

Sam, who was the first person to ever coach people in virtual reality, describes this and many other remarkable achievements in vivid detail, painting a picture of the limitless possibilities held by emergent technologies.

Sam and Neil also talk about:

The AI-enabled coaching products and facilities that are available now

The work Sam has done to align the world of coaching with the world of apprenticeships

The pros and cons of content creation as a coach

The coaching conferences Sam recommends (including his own!)

In this deep-dive into cutting edge coaching technology, Sam picks out the products that can be of most benefit to your coaching practice right now, and explains the transformative impact they can have.

THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:

- Transforming Coaching with AI and Technology with Sam Isaacson – Delenta podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa3q3KqXzhc

- Myers Briggs https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/myers-briggs-overview/

 - Sam Isaacson – Coach, author, founder of The Coachtech Collective https://isaacson.uk/

- The Coachtech Collective – community exploring coaching + tech https://isaacson.uk/buy/the-coachtech-collective/

- EMCC – European Mentoring and Coaching Council https://www.emccglobal.org/

- ILM – Institute of Leadership & Management https://www.institutelm.com/

- Apprenticeship Trailblazer (UK coaching apprenticeship framework) https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/

- Patrick Lencioni – The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, founder of The Table Group https://www.tablegroup.com/

- Challenging Coaching by Blakey & Day https://www.amazon.co.uk/Challenging-Coaching-Transforming-Performance-Organisations/dp/1857885753

- “High Support, High Challenge” https://www.maier.co.uk/insights/high_support_high_challenge/

- Toku McCree – Coach, author of “Love on the End of a Sword” https://coachingmba.co/about/

- John Whitmore – Coaching for Performance, GROW modelhttps://www.performanceconsultants.com/grow-model

- Nancy Kline – Time to Think model https://www.timetothink.com/

- Nicholas Janni – Leader as Healer https://www.nicholasjanni.com/book-leader-as-healer/

- Video session by Nicholas Janni (theme: presence-based coaching) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuXDCUcDsu4

- WBX / Coaching.com Summit – Global coaching & leadership summit https://www.coaching.com/summit/

- Coaching.com – Coaching management platform https://www.coaching.com/

- Alex Pascal – Founder of Coaching.com (in memoriam) https://www.coaching.com/about/

- Coach Is Rising – Coaching organisation & training platform https://www.coachisrising.com/

- Digital & AI Coaches’ Conference (founded by Sam Isaacson) https://isaacson.uk/digital-and-ai-coaches-conference/

- Jonathan Passmore – Coaching psychologist, author, academic https://www.henley.ac.uk/people/dr-jonathan-passmore

- Sandra Diller – Editor / academic in coaching and leadership (co-editor with Passmore & Isaacson) (No central site; academic publications: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8793-1946)

- Max Blumberg / Max Brantle (likely Max Blumberg, co-editor of coaching texts) https://www.maxblumberg.com/

- Joel Monk – Host of Coaches Rising podcast (sometimes written as Munch in transcripts) https://www.coachesrising.com/podcast/

- Robbie Swale – Coach & author (How to Start When You’re Stuck) https://robbieswale.com/

- The World Humanoid Robot Games https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cvg3mv3rz60o

- AICoach.chat – Sam’s AI coaching product https://www.aicoach.chat/

- Make.com https://www.make.com/en

- The CoachTech Collective http://coachtech.uk/

BIOGRAPHY FROM SAM

Sam Isaacson is a coaching thought leader and consultant whose work leans into technology as an enabler for revolutionising coaching strategies and approaches. He has been writing about cutting-edge technologies, including AI, blockchain and the metaverse, for many years and now works with organisations and coaches around the world on their use of technology. Sam's books include several on the impact of technology on the coaching profession, and others on the use of coaching as a strategic tool within organisations. He has regularly contributed to Choice magazine and Coaching at Work, and frequently speaks at respected coaching conferences. Sam lives in West London in the UK, in a home made noisy by his four sons. In his spare time he is deeply involved in the world of tabletop miniature wargaming, where he co-hosts a podcast.