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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

as soon as a larger player in tech gives ai coaching bots sensors (to see and hear) we will see a dramatic shift in capabilities and adoption. A software/ hardware combination in your device camera linked to the “office suite” you use makes the feature standard and overcomes adoption decisions. Current limitations are due to trying ti force a text interface to do something that was never done by text.

Tony LatimerSingapore
I am curious about

organizations understanding the actual nuance between coaching and mentoring according to the specific requirement for their leaders and teams. Also, if they look at this intervention more as a tick mark on their list or something that makes revisiting happen with more than one intervention. The define phase is crucial as to what exactly do they seek out of these sessions/ workshops.

Dr. Ankoor DasguuptaIndia
I am curious about

how simultaneous translation can reflect cadence, tone, and the same cultural biases. I believe that, for simultaneous interpretation, not only the language but also the region, age, and other factors will matter a lot.

Ricardo MeloArgentina
I am noticing that

(Based on conversations I participate in within ICF and EMCC communities) coaching is becoming more relational and emergent, less competency model-driven. Accreditation processes, especially at master levels, may evolve to reflect real practice more closely. Reflective practice and supervision are increasingly seen as essential ways to resource ourselves. I sense CPD is expanding into CPPD, where Personal development and inner work stand alongside professional learning as key to our growth.

Adrijana MilosavljevicSerbia
I wonder if

lawsuits across the United States against Life Coaches like that one in Utah could push the industry toward regulation. It feels like coaches working in areas close to healthcare (like ADHD or wellness coaching) might end up needing licenses, like therapists

MariaUnited States

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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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