Text Based Coaching Experiment
Everyone is talking about ChatGPT, Artificial Intelligence, Large Language Models (LLMs) and Machine Learning! I had I played around with ChatGPT and my kids and I had created some silly images in DALL-E. Could any of this be useful and relevant to me as a professional in clean technology? Will this disrupt the coaching industry? How can AI help me in my life?
As I typically do after I played around, I talked with my favorite podcast hosts, influencers and coaches, and chose to embark on an experiment to see how this feels to actually coach and be coached in a direct way via ChatGPT.
ChatGPT as Tony Robbins
Tony clearly has more energy and heart than this machine.
My own interactions with ChatGPT were infrequent and very targeted. I wanted mindset advice from Tony Robbins, workout mentality from David Goggins, habits from Tim Ferriss and James Clear, and a vision and accountability like Marshall Goldsmith! My own engagement was seeking the best of the best and I used it as I needed it, knowing that I could get targeted ideas and responses as I needed them. Faster and more targeted than reading, less context and reflection in the moment, no accountability other than to myself.
What if I were on the other side of the conversation? Could I coach through text? Would the feeling that another human and accountability partner were there for you bring a new perspective? An experiment was born!
How would I feel to coach exclusively through chat?
Here’s the design of the experiment:
I would accept the first 10 people who responded
Our coaching could only take place via asynchronous text exchange. No dedicated time-slots.
Either party could call an end to the session, topic, or overall experiment at any time.
Upon conclusion, both parties would submit a reflection to rate the experience.
To my surprise, I received 10 requests within 24 hours. Off to a running start. I allowed people to choose the text medium that they preferred and I was immediately shocked that only 2 wanted my phone number.
Seeing us create and integrate applications for this coaching was both a barrier (separated my friendly text exchanges from this experiment) and an enabler to create dedicated space for the coaching. A container of sorts. Off we went!
Rich Topics in text(s) …and Full sentences
Topics were similar to any other coaching conversation: personal growth, fitness, leadership, career, family, friends, side-hustles, energy maintenance and lifestyle. Clients were still able to ‘bring themselves’ to the discussion and most chats were either Powerful Questions followed by long, thoughtful responses or quick back and forth when we were both “online” and near synchronous. Little dopamine hits from the “Name is typing…” icon were often strong.
Those that worked in online documents trended toward longer more reflective answers that punched out a clear back and forth for reflection, refinement and submittal for both of us. My questions became more probing and more open, responses became a mix of edited and unedited digest.
Texts were texts, near universally less than 140 characters and quick, like sprinters getting our workouts end before signing off and coming back in a day or two for the next workout.
Only one person brought multimedia into play as she was developing a website and wanted feedback on particular areas. All of the experiments lasted less than 2 months and averaged about 12 engagements - threaded text chains or long form questions and answers in the document format.
REsults
I see results in this experiment in two ways:
Results: Did my clients get something out of it - achievement of a result or a change in their life
Satisfaction: Did they enjoy the process of text based coaching?
Let’s have a look:
Overall, the results are good. 50% of participants achieved a result and enjoyed the process (Satisfied, Result). We had an impact together!
In two cases, it was great to reconnect with a long lost acquaintance and we agreed to part ways (Satisfied, No Result) and resume our friendship and regular routines.
In three cases, the experiment just didn’t work (Unsatisfied, No Result). All of these were stopped within a week of initiation and many lasted fewer than 5 threaded discussions. Great for an experiment, not a great fit. Thank you for playing.
Reflections
While it’s great to see a result and fun to experiment, I’ll be honest. I did not enjoy the exercise. Without much context when my phone pinged, I often had to re-read entire threads to assess our next move and with so much time passing between a text and a response, life can (and did) get in the way. I felt like I was letting myself and my experimental clients down many times as I struggled to maintain presence while the next text rolled in.
What worked well:
Teaching - The ability to share skills, perspectives and guide learning was excellent. A link can turn into a rabbit hole quickly!
Accountability - Sharing frameworks, reflections, and inquiries for consideration. Agreeing to action items to make progress with accountability was much easier than in other settings. Time apart allowed for work to occur!
Mentorship - Sharing experience allowed for reflections on context and scenario planning.
What didn’t work well
Embodiment - Impossible to share an embodied experience when you’re not REALLY SURE the other person is REALLY THERE.
Process - Some emotions were present and we rarely left our heads. Our gut often lead us to put the phone down and act! Probably the right action for a life well lived.
Further Opportunities
While I didn’t enjoy the experiment as an active participant because I felt like I was ‘on call’ for the entirety of the period, I do see a huge potential value in asynchronous learning, practice and coaching. With my ‘live’ clients, most of their real work and practice happens between sessions anyway.
The experience reinforced the value of an embodied experience - and lord help us when AI provides a talking head to go with a LLM. Even just adding voice (phone) or video (zoom/loom) adds so much texture to the relationship. In person and in-group experiences can go even further into embodiment and unique memory creation.
Where I want to lean into this learning is in the combination of a video, workbook and teachings to help people develop and reflect themselves. Happy to have you on this Quest with me.