This think piece by Dr. Terrence E. Maltbia was originally shared on LinkedIn, where it received over 4,000 views and sparked meaningful discussion within the coaching community.

This think piece was triggered by a flash of insight following a comment of fellow panelist made during our sessions entitled "New Frontiers in Coaching Education and Credentialing," as part of New York University 2025 Coaching and Technology Summit, July 7th & 8th. Specifically, when Rebecca Rutschmann noted the need for coaching education and credentialing embrace both digital and AI literacies. As you concluded her remark, I instinctively double-clicked by adding the importance of relational literacy--it as at that moment that the idea of 3-dimensional literacy began. She and I, along with others continued to explore this idea/insight at various points during the 2-day event.

For me, the necessity of "3-Dimensional Literacy" is both highly pertinent and forward-thinking, as we enter the early stages of the Era of Hybrid Intelligence. As coaching increasingly integrates with technological advancements, a holistic understanding of these three intertwined literacies becomes crucial for coaches to maximize their effectiveness and navigate the complexities of modern professional landscapes. I expand on these ideas below informed by continued reflection and examination of the new concept for me following the conference--by: (a) providing a brief description of each literacy; (b) outlining a basic role and value of each to the work of high-impact coaching; and (c) sharing a few references/resources for continued exploration. 

Digital Literacy—Description (Blue)

Digital literacy refers to the ability to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information using digital technologies and the internet. It encompasses a broad range of skills, including understanding how digital tools work, navigating online environments, managing digital identities, and engaging in safe and ethical online practices. Beyond mere technical proficiency, it involves critical thinking about digital content and its implications.

Role/Value to High-Impact Coaching

In high-impact coaching, digital literacy empowers coaches to leverage technology effectively to enhance the coaching process, expand reach, and improve administrative efficiency. This includes:

• Seamless Communication: Utilizing various digital platforms (video conferencing, secure messaging apps) for synchronous and asynchronous communication with clients/employees.

  
  

• Resource Management: Curating and sharing relevant digital resources, articles, tools, and assessments with clients/employees.

• Data Organization: Managing client/employee information, session notes, and progress tracking securely and efficiently using digital systems.

• Professional Development: Accessing online learning, webinars, and digital communities for continuous professional growth.

• Marketing and Outreach: Building an online presence and connecting with potential clients/employees through digital channels.

 The era of hybrid intelligence necessitates digital literacy because coaching is no longer solely an in-person endeavor. Digital tools facilitate global reach, flexible scheduling, and the integration of diverse resources. Without strong digital literacy, coaches’ risk being limited in their operational capacity, unable to connect with clients/employees effectively across distances, or unable to utilize the digital infrastructure that underpins many modern professional interactions. It forms the foundational layer upon which the other literacies can be built, enabling the practical application of coaching in a digitally mediated world.

References/Sources/Citations

• Bawden, D. (2008). Origins and concepts of digital literacy. In C. Lankshear & M. Knobel (Eds.), Digital literacies: Concepts, policies and practices (pp. 17-32). Peter Lang.

• Eshet-Alkalai, Y. (2004). Digital Literacy: A Conceptual Framework for Survival Skills in the Digital Era. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 13(1), 93-106.

• International Coaching Federation (ICF). (Ongoing). Core Competencies and Ethical Guidelines. While not explicitly defining "digital literacy," the ICF's evolving standards implicitly require digital proficiency for ethical and effective practice in a globalized context.

AI Literacy—Description (Green)

AI literacy refers to the knowledge and understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) concepts, capabilities, limitations, and ethical implications. It involves being able to critically evaluate AI-generated content, understand how AI systems make decisions, identify potential biases, and recognize when and how to appropriately integrate AI tools into various tasks. It is not about becoming an AI developer, but rather an informed and discerning user and collaborator with AI.

Role/Value to High-Impact Coaching

In high-impact coaching, AI literacy enables coaches to intelligently interact with and leverage AI tools, while maintaining human oversight and ethical standards. This includes:

• Informed Tool Selection: Critically evaluating and selecting AI-powered coaching platforms or tools (e.g., AI-driven analytics for communication patterns, sentiment analysis, or personalized learning recommendations).

• Augmented Insights: Using AI to process large datasets (e.g., survey responses, journal entries) to identify patterns or generate preliminary insights that can inform coaching conversations, rather than replace them.

• Ethical Considerations: Understanding and mitigating risks associated with AI, such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the potential for over-reliance on technology.

• Coaching on AI: Guiding clients/employees in understanding and navigating the impact of AI in their own professional lives and organizations.

• Efficiency and Personalization: Utilizing AI for administrative tasks (e.g., scheduling, content summarization) or to suggest personalized learning paths, freeing up the coach for deeper relational work.

Rationale for Connection

The "Era of Hybrid Intelligence" is defined by the synergistic collaboration between human and artificial intelligence. For high-impact coaching, this means coaches must understand AI not as a threat, but as a powerful augmentation. AI literacy ensures that coaches can responsibly and effectively harness AI's capabilities to enhance analysis, provide data-driven insights, and personalize experiences, without compromising the human-centric, ethical core of coaching. It allows coaches to lead their clients/employees through an increasingly AI-driven world, equipping them with the necessary understanding to thrive.

References/Sources/Citations

• Long, D., & Magerko, B. (2020). What is AI Literacy? Competencies and Design Considerations. Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '20), 1-16. ACM.

• Mollick, E., & Mollick, L. (2023). New Foundations for Human-AI Collaboration. Harvard Business Review. (While not directly on coaching, their work on human-AI collaboration is highly relevant to the "hybrid intelligence" concept).

• ICF Research Portal. (Ongoing). The ICF regularly publishes research and thought leadership on the impact of technology and AI on coaching, emphasizing ethical guidelines and practical applications.

Relational Literacy—Description (Orange)

Relational literacy is a comprehensive capacity to understand, navigate, and effectively engage in complex human relationships, encompassing the dimensions of emotional intelligence, social intelligence, and cultural intelligence. It moves beyond mere interpersonal skills to a deeper awareness of self, others, and diverse contexts, enabling authentic connection and impactful influence.

• Emotional Intelligence (EQ): The ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions effectively. This includes self-awareness (understanding one's own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, values, and goals), and self-regulation/management (managing disruptive impulses, staying calm under pressure, and adapting to change). It involves the "self-work" necessary for a coach to maintain presence, objectivity, and resilience.

• Social Intelligence (SQ): The capacity to understand and manage relationships, including empathy (sensing others' feelings and perspectives, and taking an active interest in their concerns) and organizational acumen (reading group dynamics, understanding power relationships, and navigating organizational politics); along with essential relational capacities such as inspirational leadership, influence, developing others (coaching and mentoring), conflict management, and teamwork. Further, in 2006 Goleman defined 8 social intelligence competencies (4 align with enhanced social awareness: primal empathy, attunement, empathic accuracy, and social cognition | 4 align with social facility: synchrony, self-presentation, influence, and concern).

• Cultural Intelligence (CQ): The capability to function effectively in culturally diverse situations. This involves understanding how cultural values, beliefs, and behaviors impact interactions, and adapting one's approach to bridge cultural differences respectfully and effectively. It includes cognitive (understanding cultural norms), motivational (interest in learning about other cultures), and behavioral (adapting behavior to cultural contexts) components.

Role/Value to High-Impact Coaching

Relational literacy, deeply informed by EQ, SQ, and CQ, is the indispensable core of high-impact coaching. It ensures that coaching remains profoundly human-centered, adaptive, and effective across diverse individuals and contexts, even as technology advances.

• Deepening Trust and Psychological Safety: EQ enables coaches to manage their own emotional responses and be fully present, fostering a safe space for clients/employees to be vulnerable. SQ allows coaches to build rapport and navigate group dynamics effectively, crucial for team coaching or within organizational contexts.

• Tailored Communication and Connection: High EQ allows for nuanced understanding of a client’s/employee’s emotional state, while SQ enables a coach to adapt their communication style to resonate with the client/employee. CQ ensures that communication is culturally appropriate and avoids misunderstandings, building stronger cross-cultural relationships.

• Enhanced Insight and Development: By leveraging empathy (SQ), coaches can deeply understand client’s/employee's perspectives and challenges. EQ's self-awareness helps coaches identify their own biases, preventing them from projecting onto clients/employees. CQ allows coaches to contextualize client’s/employee’s goals and challenges within their cultural frameworks, leading to more relevant and impactful development.

• Navigating Complexity and Conflict: SQ competencies like conflict management and organizational acumen equip coaches to address interpersonal challenges within client’s/employee’s environments or even within the coaching relationship itself.

• Strategic Influence and Leadership: SQ competencies such as inspirational leadership and influence enable coaches to not only guide individual clients/employees but also to support them in developing their own leadership and relational capabilities within their systems.

• Ethical and Responsible AI Integration: A strong foundation in relational literacy ensures that coaches use digital and AI tools not to replace, but to enhance human connection. Coaches with high relational literacy can discern when AI insights are helpful and when a purely human, empathetic response is required, maintaining the ethical boundaries and human dignity central to coaching. They can also coach clients/employees on the relational implications of AI in their workplaces.

Rationale for Connection

In an era increasingly shaped by digital tools and artificial intelligence, relational literacy becomes paramount. While AI can process data and automate tasks, it cannot replicate the subtle nuances of human emotion, the complexities of social dynamics, or the profound impact of cultural context. High-impact coaching leverages hybrid intelligence by allowing digital and AI tools to handle data-intensive tasks and provide analytical insights.

This frees the coach to intensify their focus on the relational aspects – the space where genuine empathy, trust, emotional processing, and deep personal and systemic growth occur.

Relational literacy, enriched by EQ, SQ, and CQ, ensures that coaching remains a deeply human, adaptive, and culturally sensitive endeavor. It prevents the coaching process from becoming transactional or dehumanized by technology, ensuring that the "human" in "human-AI collaboration" remains primary, ethical, and profoundly effective. It is the essential counterbalance that ensures technology serves human development, rather than dictating it.

References/Sources/Citations

• Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Bantam Books. (Foundational work on emotional intelligence).

• Goleman, D. (2006). Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships. Bantam Books. (Expands on the concept of social intelligence and its competencies).

• Earley, P. C., & Ang, S. (2003). Cultural Intelligence: Individual Interactions Across Cultures. Stanford University Press. (Key text defining and exploring Cultural Intelligence).

• Rogers, C. R. (1951). Client-Centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications, and Theory. Houghton Mifflin. (Pioneering work on the importance of empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence in therapeutic/coaching relationships, foundational to relational skills).

• Livermore, D. A. (2011). The Cultural Intelligence Difference: Master the One Skill You Can't Do Without in Today's Global Economy. AMACOM. (Further development and practical application of CQ).

• Boyatzis, R. E., & McKee, A. (2005). Resonant Leadership: Renewing Yourself and Connecting with Others Through Mindfulness, Hope, and Compassion. Harvard Business School Press. (Connects emotional intelligence with leadership and coaching).

By cultivating these three literacies in concert, coaches can truly deliver high-impact coaching in the complex and evolving landscape of hybrid intelligence, fostering both technological fluency and profound human connection. 

Next steps into this inquiry include: (1) working to identify a set of unique human factors and capacities in high-impact coaching in the emerging era of hybrid intelligence and (2) exploring implications for the future of coaching education and credentialing--stay turned!

Call-To-Action: Please share any insights, observations, and/or areas of future inquiry that emerged as a result of reading this think piece. Any relevant resources and references are welcome! 

Join us for the 5th International Columbia Coaching Conference in October to explore these ideas and more:  https://www.columbiacoachingconference.org/

 About Author 

Dr. Terrence E. Maltbia is a Professor of Practice in the Department of Organization and Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University, where he also serves as Faculty Director of the Columbia Coaching Certification Program (3CP). Since its 2007 launch, 3CP has credentialed over 900 executive and organizational coaches from more than 40 countries. His areas of expertise include strategic learning, leadership and organizational development, executive coaching, and cultural intelligence.

Prior to Columbia, Dr. Maltbia held leadership roles at Westvaco Corporation and Rath & Strong Management Consultants, with a focus on organizational effectiveness and process improvement. He has consulted for major organizations such as Equitable, HBO, JPMorgan Chase, Newmont Mining, and S&P Global.

A recognized practitioner-scholar, Dr. Maltbia received the Malcolm Knowles Dissertation of the Year and AHRD’s Cutting Edge Award. He has also earned AIIR Consulting’s Coaching Leadership Award and Henley Business School’s Outstanding Contribution to Coaching Award. He was named among Thinkers50 | Marshall Goldsmith’s Top Global Coaches. He holds a B.S. from Ohio State and master’s and doctoral degrees from Teachers College. He serves on the boards of GSAEC and AHRD, and teaches courses on leadership, emotional/cultural intelligence, and qualitative research methods.

© 2025 Dr. Terrence E. Maltbia. All rights reserved.