Jan 4, 2012

[scenarios] Otto, the self-coaching app


Did you thank someone today? asks Otto, the self-coaching app

Leuven - I've been trying out Otto, the self-coaching app for two months now. The app is a newcomer in the world of Quantified Self tools, and helps people like me draft their list of 'working points'. These working points get converted in a list of questions that Otto (the name of the automatic coach) will ask you daily or weekly. Now, two months later I look back at the graphs of my goals. For some reason, I never thank people on Mondays...

The app is available for iPhone and Android and still in beta. It is made by homo competens, who brought us the quiz site about2findout.com and learning-site-in-disguise walkthe.net. Coaching is a hot item in the corporate development world these days. You can judge by the number of books on this topic displayed at airport book shops. But people don't really need these books. What they need is a solid method to make them formulate points of improvement, see a variety of reachable solutions and act upon that. The app actually mimics very expensive executive coaching who would call their coachees every day to ask the list of questions. That is obviously a very expensive process. Otto is 'coaching for the rest of us', as the makers describe it.

Coaching started out as an activity for the happy few, usually the leaders in an organisation. Its proven benefits make that everyone could actually use a coach or mentor at key moments in their careers. The problem with coaching is that it is very expensive because people-intensive and doesn't scale well. This app won't solve this problem, but will bring basic coaching to everyone, and is a helpful complementary instrument to deeper coaching.

The free version of the app will let you create a list of 10 development goals or 'working points'. The beauty of the app is that it suggests development goals based on your MBTI score - a popular personality assessment test. People with a certain MBTI profile tend to have common derailers, and I must admit I picked a few working points from that list too.

Etc.


Note: this article is part of a series fictive newspaper articles corresponding to one of the four 'future learning scenarios'. This one is part of the "quantified self" scenario.
If you think this would be a great app, feel free to help me flesh it out and build it :-) Might be something fun to do this year...




4 comments:

  1. UnknownFeb 25, 2012, 6:36:00 AM

    Hi Bert! Luis here. I was searching through internet looking for some app like that when I faced your blog. I am developing a business plan for a project based on self coaching running under www and apps. I would be pleased to collaborate together.

    regards,

    Luis

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bert De CoutereFeb 28, 2012, 3:31:00 PM

    Hi Luis, sounds very interesting. It also links to my prediction of the 'democratization' of what was previously only for the happy few, eg coaching. Your blogger profile isn't public, so I have no way to connect.

    ReplyDelete
  3. no oneFeb 28, 2013, 11:31:00 PM

    Hi Bert,

    I enjoyed your article.

    Our firm has a learning transfer software solution that looks a lot like your scenario here.

    Check it out at www.resultpal.com and let us know what you think!

    Cheers,

    ResultPal

    ReplyDelete
  4. postJul 11, 2013, 2:07:00 AM

    Just has the same insight.... it would be perfect. but absolute confidentiality is needed. I thnik best way would be with a PM aproach. Give me a shout in cas anyone whats change ideas on the topic.

    ReplyDelete