I was at a networking function recently and the usual question came up, “What do you do?” I said I was a business coach and asked my new friend, “What’s your perception of the difference between a business coach and a consultant?” I’ve taken to asking this question often these days and am surprised by the lack of understanding around business coaching. Here’s my take on that question.
A business consultant is generally called into a company when it’s in a state of limbo. The company recognizes that they need outside help to move their situation forward. They bring in an outside consultant who has been choosen for their area of expertise and knowledge. The expectation is that the consultant will observe and analyse the situation then provide a solution that’ll move the company forward. The solution is presented in the form of recommendations that the company can choose to implement, ignore or shelve. If the consultant was a doctor, we’d recognize the process as one where the patient is examined, a diagnosis is made, and a prescription is written.
A business coach is also called into a company to help it move forward. So the starting point can be very much the same as for the consultant. The primary difference between coaching and consulting is philosophical. The belief in coaching is that the client or company is naturally creative, resourceful and whole - even though they may be at a juncture where they’re stuck. They have the solution - it’s up to the business coach to pull it out of them as opposed to prescribing the solution. While consultants observe, analyse and recommend, business coaches facilitate the client’s analysis of the situation to deepen their learning and drive them to action. The hope with business coaching is that the learning leads to behavioural changes that ultimately have a sustainable positive effect. Hey business coaches out there - do you agree?
