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2026 ICF Coaching Futures Report

Envisioning Coaching's Next Horizon

This report does not predict a single future. Instead, it explores multiple scenarios shaping access to coaching worldwide. Grounded in global insights, foresight methods, and creative storytelling, we invite you to imagine what coaching could become and how today’s actions influence what comes next.

The future is not fixed. Help shape it.

I have a feeling that

AI will provide quick advice on HOW to DO practical things. I think people want a more personalized support for figuring out the challenges they are facing. Advice from family and friends, self improvement courses and self-help books often involve generic skills and tools that may more may not work. As coaching becomes more mainstream, accessible and affordable, I think the demand for live one-on-one coaching will grow as people seek to figure out how to tackle their unique wants and needs.

Ronda ColavitoUnited States
I wonder if

coaches could start using VR for things like leadership simulations or team-building exercises? I read about a tech company in Singapore using VR to train employees. It feels like this could bring a new level of immersion to coaching, especially for skill development.

DeepakIndia
I am noticing that

the picture on this page tells the story. No human to human connection there. I am noticing it is probably too late, technology will prevail. The question is how do we adapt as we become more and more machine like. Technology will use us not vice versa.

Benita Stafford-SmithOman
I have a feeling that

applied neuroscience & tech will create exciting new futures for Coaching. Eg. Brain-computer interfaces (like Neuralink or its successors) will allow real-time emotional & cognitive state tracking. Coaches may tap directly into clients’ neurological patterns -tracking stress, clarity, resistance – and guide transformation via neural synchronization.
What do we need to consider as we step into this future?
What ethical safeguards must evolve?
What are the boundaries of predictive coaching?

Shweta Handa GuptaIndia
I have a feeling that

as economic uncertainty rises and more coaches flood the market, many will struggle to sustain their businesses. I think the future belongs to coaches who don’t provide ‘cookie-cutter solutions’ but deliver strategic insight, deep emotional intelligence, and lasting change.

Beverley GlazerCanada

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Ecosystem-centered Coaching: Futures Thinking for Real-World Impact

In this 4-part series, discover how futures thinking can empower you to navigate the evolving role of coaching within interconnected ecosystems. Through our four-phase framework—Observe, Envision, Anticipate, Act— you will learn how to prepare for the future of ecosystem-centered practices, integrate AI and new technologies, and embrace ethical, holistic approaches that create real-world impact for you, your clients, and your communities.

Apply the futures thinking loop to coaching

Futures Thinking fosters a mindset that embraces change, encourages innovation, and empowers action toward desired futures.

Apply the futures thinking loop to coaching

Futures Thinking fosters a mindset that embraces change, encourages innovation, and empowers action toward desired futures.

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