AI Solutions: Changing Names of the ADI

AI Solutions: Changing Names of the ADI: I was browsing, as you do, a networking site that was not Facebook, members on this site are varied but there is a generous selection ...

Changing Names of the ADI

I was browsing, as you do, a networking site that was not Facebook, members on this site are varied but there is a generous selection of driving instructors on there.  Well at least they used to be driving instructors but all of a sudden they are changing their job description, one has to ask why?

Has the title driving instructor suddenly become dirty words.

The influx of coaching courses has resulted in driving instructors now calling themselves 'coach', how confusing is that to the general public, it also questions are instructors ashamed of the title so are looking for a replacement?

We carried out a confidential survey with Survey Monkey - you can take part in this too if you wish, it is on our website, http://www.aicoachingsolutions.com in the blog section.  The results that have returned so far highlighted the fact that some feel under pressure to change their title rather than be left behind, but who started the trend in the first place?

Coaching courses specifically designed to help improve teaching methods and to understand CCL have their place and value, however, taking a course does not make you a coach, taking any course, certificate or otherwise doesn't make you an expert, it may top up your knowledge base but that is all.

So for the vast majority courses, associations and paid for information updates are unnecessary and financially unsound, why attend a course when you could be working.  It does seem that there is now confusion regarding the role of the ADI, in particular n contrast to other countries.  Will the bar rise in terms of professional recognition by the public, well that would be an uphill struggle, you could change the title a thousand times but at the end of the day we would still be driving instructors, I'm proud to be a driving instructor, I enjoy my role, I am satisfied that my pupils get what they pay for and have never read about any of them in the paper, so I must be doing something right.

When I first started teaching people to drive it was about building a business and a reputation, I had to start that all over again when I moved some 80 miles away.  Peer pressure encourages pupils to find us and enquire and parental and peer pressure actually make the final decision in the vast majority of cases.  Whether you describe yourself as a coach or not does not make the final decision.

Coaching in the UK is a new phenomenon and is treated sceptically generally. Those who seek a life coach are often from another country or have been involved in study or an environmental situation where coaches in various genres have been utilised, predominantly in the work place.

So why? We need to be delivering what it says on the packet and if that doesn't happen then the title of the provider is surely irrelevant.