A massive European-wide coaching survey has revealed that the UK and Germany are ahead of the coaching pack, with 70 per cent of all EU coaches working in these countries.

The survey confirms what everyone is talking about – that coaching is in its ascendancy in this country.

The European Coaching Survey 2007/2008, for the first time, systematically examined the current situation of coaching in Europe as a whole and in each European country and region. The project covered all EU and EU-candidate countries as well as a selected list of Non-EU countries (35 countries altogether).

According to the project results, there are significant differences in the practice and development of coaching within Europe:

• Only in 12 of the 27 EU countries (all Western/Northern Europe) was coaching widely accepted and used as a business tool today.
• In just 11 EU countries, professional one-to-one business coaching is already far advanced on its way to becoming a real profession in terms of accreditation, code of ethics, coaching associations, etc. The use of supervision is widely spread in only seven EU countries.
• UK and Germany – with nearly 30 per cent of the EU population – accommodate over 70 per cent of all EU coaches. In contrast, only about 3 to 4 per cent of all EU coaches are based in the area of the former communist EU countries (representing about 20 per cent of the EU population).
• Overall, there is a clear West-East and a slight North-South divide in the development of coaching within Europe. Within each of these regions, however, the situation of coaching may also differ enormously (depending on each country).
• Only in five EU countries is a directive coaching approach prevailing. In nine EU countries a non-directive approach predominates. (13 – undecided)
• Depending on each country and region within Europe, there are highly different local characteristics and preferences in the way coaching is understood and delivered.

At the same time, the results unambiguously show that coaching is on the rise in the whole of Europe. In none of the 35 European countries covered by the European Coaching Survey is coaching in decline.

A detailed report on the results of the European Coaching Survey 2007/2008 (36 pages) will be available for free download from 20 February.

The research project was initiated and conducted by Bresser Consulting a global provider of coaching and coaching culture services.