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Coaching services: A look at coaches, clients, and practices.

American Psychological Association
Consulting Psychology Journal
Authors:
Anne Liljenstrand at University of California, San Diego
Anne Liljenstrand
Delbert M. Nebeker
Delbert M. Nebeker
Delbert M. Nebeker
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Abstract

Coaching is growing rapidly as a way to help individuals improve their professional and/or personal success. Although similar services have been offered for some time, coaching is becoming more widely available and is being offered by a more diverse set of professionals. This research was undertaken to learn more about coaches from varying academic backgrounds, and how they may differ in their approach to their craft. In the study, 2,231 coaches participated by completing a web-based survey examining coaching practices. A general discussion and conclusions are included. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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COACHING SERVICES: A LOOK AT
COACHES, CLIENTS, AND PRACTICES
Anne M. Liljenstrand
The Bader Group, San Diego,
California
Delbert M. Nebeker
National University
Coaching is growing rapidly as a way to help individuals improve their profes-
sional and/or personal success. Although similar services have been offered for
some time, coaching is becoming more widely available and is being offered by
a more diverse set of professionals. This research was undertaken to learn more
about coaches from varying academic backgrounds, and how they may differ in
their approach to their craft. In the study, 2,231 coaches participated by
completing a web-based survey examining coaching practices. A general dis-
cussion and conclusions are included.
Keywords: executive coaching, coaching practices, coaching models and pro-
cesses, leadership development
Coaching is growing rapidly as it becomes increasingly popular. Although there is little
information on the size of the industry, in 1999 the International Coach Federation (ICF)
estimated that there were then approximately 16,000 coaches worldwide and survey
results by Manchester, Inc. (Morris, 2000) indicated that 45% of CEOs reported their
senior-level personnel needed coaching services. Based on the data collected for the
present study, the field of coaching is estimated to be a one billion dollar per year
industry.
1
Although coaching and similar services have been offered in the past, coaching
Anne M. Liljenstrand, The Bader Group, San Diego, California; and Delbert M. Nebeker, Depart-
ment of Psychology, National University, San Diego, California.
Data for this work was collected as part of the first author’s dissertation conducted at the
California School of Organizational Studies, Alliant International University, San Diego, California.
The second author is now at Alliant International University, Marshall Goldsmith School of
Management, San Diego, California.
We thank Jonathan Gale and Joyce Pardieu for their help in the design of the instrument and
data collection.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Anne M. Liljenstrand, 2351
Opalo Way, San Diego, CA 92111. E-mail: anne@badergroup.com
1
Calculated based on responses from 2,218 coaches. We estimated the total number of coaches
in 2004 to be 22,000 worldwide based on the previous estimates that there were 16,000 coaches in
1999 and assuming a modest 6.6% annual growth rate in coaches. The mean reported annual
income ⫻number of coaches ($51,774 ⫻22,000 ⫽$1,139,028,000), and the average number of
clients at any one time ⫻number of sessions per year ⫻average price per session ⫻estimated total
number of coaches (8 ⫻34.5 ⫻$151 ⫻22,000 ⫽$916,872,000) gave us our range.
Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research Copyright 2008 by the American Psychological Association and
the Society of Consulting Psychology2008, Vol. 60, No. 1, 57–77 1065-9293/08/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/1065-9293.60.1.57
57
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