Manager – Talent Acquisition, Learning and Development | Certified Transformational Coach
By: Kalhari Herbert
Not too long ago, coaching meant a quiet room and a conversation that could change your life. It was deeply personal built on trust, presence, and connection. But fast forward to today, and just like how we now do everything from ordering dinner with a swipe to Googling our symptoms and becoming self-proclaimed doctors overnight, coaching too is going through its own transformation.
In a world where technology is evolving at the speed of light, coaching is adapting not to lose its human touch, but to enhance it.
Platforms like Ezra by LHH and CoachHub are perfect examples. They’ve brought coaching into the digital age, offering scalable, on-demand access to accredited coaches across the world. Through real-time tracking, smart matching algorithms, and user-friendly digital interfaces, these platforms make coaching more accessible and inclusive without compromising on quality or authenticity.
The digital age has equipped us with AI-driven chatbots, virtual platforms, and data analytics. But at its heart, coaching remains a deeply human endeavor. It’s a blend of empathy, connection, and technology working in harmony.
Generative AI coach bots like “AIMY” at CoachHub and Ezra’s own “Cai” offer role-play scenarios and practical advice at a fraction of traditional costs. What this tells us is clear: technology is reshaping how coaching is delivered — enhancing scalability, consistency, and accessibility.
Why Human Connection Still Matters
No algorithm can replicate the spark that occurs when two humans truly connect.
Sherry Turkle, author of Alone Together and Reclaiming Conversation, warns that digital overload risks reducing genuine interpersonal exchange even as we grow more connected online. In the coaching world, that connection is the engine of trust, insight, and transformation.
Real-time conversations are unpredictable, raw, and deeply human filled with natural emotion. A chatbot can’t touch any of that. Therefore, we must use tech intentionally, always with the human at the center.
Adding My Human Lens
Technology is undeniably a powerful enabler. It allows us to scale, streamline, and serve at a speed that was unimaginable just a few years ago. And who doesn’t love the idea of a bot reminding us to breathe or scheduling a session because we just can’t sleep after binge-watching another leadership TED talk or a true crime series?
Tech gives us reach, speed, convenience, and sometimes even clever insights we hadn’t considered.
Digital coaching platforms like Ezra and CoachHub have broken down geographical and economic barriers, offering timely and flexible coaching to individuals and organizations across the globe. For many, this is real progress and that is no small achievement.
However, as someone who deeply values the art of coaching, I also recognize the other side of the coin.
Coaching is where people pause, reflect, unlearn, cry a little, laugh a lot, and find clarity especially when everything around them feels like a never-ending Zoom meeting. No AI can feel the unspoken. No application can sense the sigh, the subtle pause, or that teary eye on the other end of the screen and gently ask, “What’s really going on?” or sense what isn’t being said or the subtle shift in energy when a breakthrough is near.
Coaching is messy. Coaching is human. It’s not a transaction, but a transformation, a safe space where people reconnect with their purpose through a meaningful journey.
In an increasingly transactional world where communication is reduced to quick replies and virtual meetings often lack emotional depth coaching offers something rare: meaningful, human connection. That’s not something any algorithm can replicate, nor should it try.
So Where Does That Leave Us?
It’s not a matter of choosing between human or technology, it’s about combining both, mindfully. When we use technology as a support system rather than a substitute, we unlock a new level of coaching effectiveness.
Imagine a coaching journey powered by real-time data, but still led by human wisdom. Imagine structure without rigidity, insight without assumption, and support that is both scalable and personal.
This thoughtful collaboration between coaching and technology is not just a trend it’s the way forward. It allows us to remain relevant, responsive, and resilient in a world that is constantly evolving. But we must remain intentional in how we design and deliver coaching in this new age.
Let us embrace the evolution not with fear, but with purpose. Let us remain anchored in what makes coaching so powerful: the human touch.
Embrace this digital evolution with intention and heart. Let AI serve the relationship but let the human connection lead the way.
