ABSTRACT
In the previous chapters we explored the diverse types of media that can be used to support coaching, and we mapped the differences between them in terms of their features and capabilities. The focus of this chapter is tilted towards the practitioner, the digital coach, and on the skills, competencies and best practices that shape digital coaching practice. It offers reflections on the digital coaching experience, drawing on media theories and adopting a phenomenological view on media. The chapter seeks to explore the connection between media capabilities and coaching skill, and it approaches digital coaching as conceptually distinct from traditional, presence coaching. It proposes the following:
The coaching experience is transformed by digital media.
The interplay between fixed media capabilities, the coach’s and client’s subjective perceptions and experiences with these and coaching skill, all influence the coaching experience.
Digital coaching is a distinct form of coaching practice, which requires specialized training to adapt practice, and the need to rethink practical and ethical aspects of the coaching process.
