If nothing else, we can reflect on the kind of people who fill out surveys like this–whether it is about coaching development or one’s attitudes toward a new software product or new dishwashing detergent. Most of the respondents to surveys will tend to lean toward one extreme or the other in their responses. They often will fill out the survey only if they have strong opinions: “I hate this new software program. Why do they keep making it difficult for me!” or “I love this new dishwashing detergent and will recommend it to all of my friends.”
Are the kind of people who fill out a survey about the development of coaches likely to be those who are committed to the field and want to homestead in this new-found territory and build a town? Are they perhaps even among those who preach or teach about the importance of coaching and the processes of personal change and development? In future studies, it will be critical to gain access to perspectives offered by all those who engage in professional coaching –perhaps even the perspectives of those founders who have since moved on to other frontiers.
