The $2 Coaching Trap

When I was climbing my career steps, I remember, often having this feeling of ‘not knowing enough’. Every day in every new job position threw new challenges – completely unknown stuff. And it was just not me and my piece of challenge. There were more members in the show – my seniors, my peers, my suppliers, clients, and all other stakeholders.

The ‘performance’ climate existed even then and large organizations functioned with a lot of well-intended, performing individuals. The word ‘expectation’ was a very powerful invisible ghost glaring at you especially when you felt ‘you didn’t know enough’.

So, I started figuring out. In my own few ways..

There was some stuff that I would be able to figure out myself, with a little bit of logic, common-sense and hesitant trial. Then there would be stuff that I will see others do and learn quickly. At rare occasions, I would just gather courage to go and ask a question to a random someone who I believed could help. There was no Google or ChatGPT. There was no WhatsApp University, Internet, YouTube Videos. No Cellphone till the mid 90s.

Even then, we wanted good increments, a recognition, a promotion or just a pat on the shoulder. Career competition was always there. Upskilling inside an employment was pertinent even then. Learning was important. There was a great support from real-life conversations on and off the job. Just sharing experiences and narrating them to one another. It also helped build that important mesh of relationship in a large complex organization.

While reflecting on that, I try to swim through the plethora of online courses, that are available virtually today, on every conceivable subject. I see ‘success’ as an over-sold commodity. And chasing ‘undefined success’ as a commodity behaviour. How we have oversold a demand to over-inventorize the supply. I see ‘Coaches & Coaching’ being commoditized, offering courses (made some from well-known, well-publicized faces) on some 6,7,8-figure nomenclature for less than $10 !!!

Poor humans who buy ‘hope’ as dopamine, fall easy prey.

The knowledge dissemination world needs some serious ethical correction. Possibly an ethical climate-change correction of sorts. This eco-system is definitely bubbling up.