The Truth Behind Common Misconceptions of Digital Coaching

It’s 2023 and businesses are continuing to find innovative ways to keep their employees satisfied and engaged. From offering pet-friendly offices to having more opportunities for learning and development, it’s clear that employee engagement is worth investing in. And within good reason. For instance, according to the Conference Board’s DNA of Engagement column, disengaged employees cost organizations between $450 and $550 billion annually. 

But despite some eye-catching stats, some employers still harbor concerns when it comes to taking steps towards investing. It is important to be knowledgeable of common reservations when making any investment, however; it’s equally as important to be aware of the misconceptions that come along with common reservations. Common misconceptions might include: 

• Digital coaching is only for individuals with basic skills or knowledge
• Digital coaching is more expensive than in-person coaching
• Digital coaching shouldn’t be used in professional settings
• Digital coaching lacks personalization and a human touch
• Digital coaching is only for young, tech-savvy individuals
• Digital coaches aren’t regulated or certified
• Digital coaching is a fad, and it will soon be replaced

All valid concerns, but we are here to tell you why they shouldn’t hold you back from making a profitable investment in your employee’s engagement. And ultimately in your business. 

Myth 1: Digital coaching is only for individuals with basic skills or knowledge

Not only can coaching programs increase engagement amongst your team, it can also offer valuable skills and teachings for your employees to adopt. Coaching programs are vast and range in diversity across many areas of expertise. For instance, Valor coaches are a blend of behavior scientists, Olympians, and business and military leaders who have performed on the world's toughest stages as CEOs, professional athletes, equity derivative traders, and military specialists, with years of experience in performance mindset coaching. They are high performers across many different arenas who are on a quest for individual and professional growth.

Myth 2: Digital coaching is more expensive than in-person coaching

While coaching is an investment, it might surprise you that it is significantly cheaper than the traditional, in-person model of coaching. In fact, you could expect to spend 4-6 times as much training in-person (or more) versus using a digital coaching platform. In addition to the price difference, digital coaching is more flexible and more accessible; using less time to create a greater impact and making the cost of digital coaching span that much further.  

Myth 3: Digital coaching shouldn’t be used in professional settings

Across coaching, there are various professional and business-oriented coaching services that are covered in digital coaching that are no different from in-person coaching such as leadership development, team building, and career coaching. Digital coaching in the workplace provides tremendous value; allowing professionals to decompress a busy day with an external resource. 

Myth 4: Digital coaching lacks personalization and a human touch

Digital coaching can provide a personalized, human-centric experience. It utilizes virtual face-to-face interactions, personalized feedback and support, and the use of emotional intelligence in digital communication. Along with individual coaching, coaching can be executed through group sessions and self-paced programs. With Valor Performance coaching, each participant completes a 360º assessment to identify their core values as well as potential areas for improvement. In addition to the goals of the participant, each organization has an initial meeting with Valor executive members to align on objectives and create measures to attain them. 

Myth 5: Digital coaching is only for young, tech-savvy individuals

Yes, digital coaching is digital. But that doesn’t mean it's complicated – it’s actually the opposite. Digital coaching platforms are specifically designed with the user in mind. Additional measures are taken to enable professionals to seamlessly navigate through the platform with ease; ensuring that no time is forfeited while going through the program. Furthermore, digital platforms act as a content hub for digital learnings, teachings, goals, and more, so everything can reside in one place and is available at any time. 

Myth 6: Digital coaches aren’t regulated or certified

I bet you didn’t know 99% of coaches have undergone coach-specific training accredited or approved by an official body. Becoming a performance coach is more complicated than you might think, and it requires a vast amount of experience and skills. 85% of Valor coaches have PhDs and Masters degrees in performance psychology or related fields from top schools and all of them have coaching experience with leaders and high performers across multiple disciplines. 

Myth 7: Digital coaching is a fad, and it will soon be replaced

While it may seem like a trend waiting to fade, online coaching platforms are projected to reach $4.5 billion in market size by 2028, proving that they are not going anywhere anytime soon. Additionally, it’s been reported that one-third of all Fortune 500 companies use the services of coaches. With that being said, digital coaching has proven to be an extremely effective (if not the most effective) resource to use when investing in your employees. 

All in all, digital coaching is gaining well-earned momentum. It allows for your high-performing professionals to thrive in fast-paced environments while giving them an outlet to unwind and reflect. It encourages your employees to challenge themselves and adopt new skills to apply to your business. And with the extensive backgrounds that digital coaches possess, they have all the experience to guide professionals through the everyday challenges they face. Explore Valor Performance coaching to learn more about how your business can benefit.