1 | How do we regulate the coaching and education industry?
How do you regulate a largely unregulated industry? A question I, and many others, have been asking about the coaching and education space over the last year.
The boom in online education, whether that be through coaching or courses, is something I’m both super excited about and partly responsible for (as a coach myself who supports a lot of other service based businesses). People turning their experience and natural skillset into careers, all whilst helping others, is pretty incredible.
But there’s a darker side to it. Because with formal qualifications sometimes being irrelevant, the title ‘coach’ or ‘mentor’ available to anyone with an Instagram bio and hype-driven sales tactics making it increasingly difficult for consumers to make informed decisions, the existence of cowboy gurus and people being stung as a result is sadly on the rise.
It’s something that’s saddened and frustrated me a lot over the last year. Hearing the experiences of people being lied to, pressured and taken advantage of has at times brought me to tears. And let’s clarify - it’s not on.
Running a business at the expense of others is not on.
Using scare and pressure tactics in your marketing is not on.
Telling people they have ‘mindset issues’ because they don’t want to give you money is not on.
Encouraging unsustainable growth is not on.
Pretending there’s a ‘secret’ to success, which sits on the other side of your newest course, is not on.
Valuing profit over people is not on.
This behaviour, shown increasingly by a small minority over the last year, has led me to question whether it’s an industry I even want to be a part of. But as soon as I entertain that thought, I remember why I do this.
I’ve seen people's lives and businesses transformed by coaching. I know first-hand what a difference the right investment can make. I see the vast majority working tirelessly to build businesses that do good. In short, I believe in the power of this industry and that’s not something I’m ready to give up on.
The conversations so far have brought much needed awareness around what that dark side can look like and I believe it’s time to turn the conversation into action. Now whilst there’s no simple solution to what is an incredibly nuanced and complex situation, I believe change will come from raising the standard.
It’ll come from coaches and educators carefully considering how they’re going to help consumers make informed decisions, sell in a value-driven way and self regulate their practice. And it’ll come from consumers, clients and students feeling educated and empowered to ask the right questions, spot facts from fiction and make the right investment for them.
I’ve collected my thoughts, along with contributions from others I respect, on how each party can work to raise the standard. So whichever side you’re on, if you’re ready to be the change, I’d encourage you to take a read...
It’ll take time, action and consistency but I truly believe that raising the standard and therefore making it impossible for those without value-driven and ethical practice to take up space, we can make this industry the space we know it can be.
Note: Whilst writing these articles I’ve become increasingly aware of just how desperately we need a more long term and regulated solution. I am, in partnership with some of those quoted, working to explore what this could look like.