Identity work of coaches

What is it about?

This article explores the identity work of coaches to be. The article follows narratives of adult learners aspiring to become academically trained coaches within an emerging industry. The identity work must be understood in the context of the individual's biography, the specific learning environment and the coaching industry. The article explicates the intersubjective nature of identity work and sensemaking.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

There are two core contributions. First, we propose an understanding of identity work as being intersubjectively conducted. Second, against the push towards formalisation and standardisation from the industry, we argue that too much formalisation or structure can be counterproductive to successful professional identity formation for those working in an occupation, such as coaching, in which the use of intuition is considered central to practice.

Perspectives