Did You Know that Business Coaching is not the Same as Business Consulting?
Read on to learn the difference between the two roles.
Those interested in making a positive difference on other organizations, teams, or individuals often remain undecided about whether to serve as a consultant or a coach. The underlying reason being that the line between the two roles is often blurred. Although used interchangeably, the two roles are different. More importantly, a lack of knowledge about the differences can lead to an ineffective relationship with clients.
In this guide, you’ll learn how the business coaching role and the business consulting role at FocalPoint Coaching and Training differ from each other.
Guidance vs. Instruction
When you need an expert who will merely guide you on a method or process, consider hiring a consultant. On the other hand, if you want to discover yourself, a coach is what you need.
Let’s take an example to clarify the point. Suppose you want to learn how to ride a bicycle. A coach will make you sit on the bicycle and move alongside you, giving instructions as you move forward until you’ve gained the confidence to advance on your own. A consultant, on the other hand, will ride the bicycle for a while and create a manual for you to follow and ride.
Providing vs. Exploring Possibilities
Another difference between business coaching and consulting is that the former relates to exploring possibilities while the latter has to do with providing possibilities. This means that as a consultant, you’ll take the available opportunities and suggest the best of those options to clients based on your experience and knowledge. Working as a coach means you’ll help clients explore possibilities that they may not otherwise be able to see.
Discovery vs. Execution
The main difference between the two roles is that coaching pulls out answers for the client, helping them discover the truth, while consultancy is more about telling the client exactly what to do. If you choose to become a coach, your clients will walk away with strategies that help them unveil their truth on their own. But if you become a consultant, they will take away tools that help them foster execution and advancement. Depending on the clients’ intention and goal, both roles can be highly valuable.
Solving Problems vs. Building Capacity
Finally, serving as a coach means you’ll build the capacity of the client to make the right business decisions, while consultancy is about directly countering business challenges and resolving issues on behalf of the client. As a coach, you’ll groom teams to solve business issues, but when you work as a consultant, you’ll resolve problems for them using your intuition and experience.
Join FocalPoint Coaching and Training
Whether you wish to become a business coach or consultant, FocalPoint Coaching and Training is the perfect platform to get started. Executive business coach Scott Hartsfield will not only help improve your client outreach, but also help you become a subject matter expert in your field. To join the team, contact us today!
