I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling a small sense of triumph at a minor news story that began circulating in the media towards the end of last year. The northern supermarket chain, Booths, announced that it is removing most of its automated self-service checkouts and bringing back human cashiers, in response to customer demand.
Though perhaps not a seismic swing compared with everything else happening in the world right now, to me, this small but significant shift by the supermarket chain – known as ‘the Waitrose of the north’ – indicates a potential wider systemic change. Coupled with the news that emerged around the same time – that the proposed closures of railway station ticket booths in favour of automatic machines were abandoned at the 11th hour – I am left with a sense of hope that together, we can push back against the ‘technofuturist tide’1 and reclaim our sense of humanity and community.
With the inexorable rise of artificial intelligence, our profession is by no means immune from automation either, as we have previously explored in the pages of this journal.2,3 And yet – as the digital juggernaut thunders steadily on, could we perhaps see glimpses of the tide turning here too?
"My hopeful vision for our future is one where the gifts of our presence, our creativity, our compassion and our humanity, are acknowledged, embraced and valued more than ever"
Reading the contributions of our writers in this first issue of the new year, I feel that same sense of quiet hope. Each grapple with the question of what it means to be human – and what it means to bring our humanity into our practice, through our creativity, our empathy and compassion, or our mindful capacity. As George Warren asks in our lead article: in what way is the future of coaching relational? What can we bring to the coaching relationship that an AI chatbot cannot?
Let’s be clear – the digital age is here to stay and if we are to evolve as practitioners, coaching providers and as a profession, we must be prepared to adapt.3 But my hopeful vision for our future is one where the gifts of our presence, our creativity, our compassion and our humanity, are acknowledged, embraced and valued more than ever.
In the meantime, I hope for a future where I never have to hear the dreaded words ‘unexpected item in the bagging area’ ever again.
Wishing you all the best for 2024. Until next time…
Diane Parker coachingtoday.editorial@bacp.co.uk
