What is the Difference Between Coaching and Consulting?
What IS the difference between Consulting and Coaching? A simple answer is that consulting is problem-focused and coaching is people-focused. There are certainly nuances and overlaps, and we cover those in more detail below.
Consultants help clients solve a specific business-related problem that is most likely strategy-oriented. Coaches focus on the individual, helping them grow in their own capacity to lead and build the company culture through inspiration and personal confidence. A good coach listens to the client and directs the person, not the problem.
Consultants bring their experience and show you how to solve problems effectively. They provide tools to help you execute their solutions. Coaches ask questions to help you discover the best answer for your particular situation. A client may choose a different solution from the coach, but it does not make it wrong. The goals are similar, but the approaches are different.
Consultants are generally subject matter experts and bring their technical and professional experience to their clients. Coaches help clients discover solutions by partnering with them to explore options they may not see on their own. A good coach does this through listening to the client and asking questions to help them discover what they want to do.
Consultants work with clients on resolving a perceived problem. Coaches work with clients on the root causes of the problem. The client-coach relationship is a partnership that requires trust and vulnerability to create lasting change.
A consultant researches solutions to a client’s issue and then provides the expertise to solve the problem. This approach brings about change for the company and is generally prescriptive. A+B=C. Coaches find out the issue the client wants to solve because they are the experts on themselves. Coaches work with individuals or teams to brainstorm solutions. This approach provides clarity for the client to determine next steps.
Consultants are engaged on a project basis and are generally tasked to provide deliverables within a predetermined timeframe. Their expertise diminishes over time, once the problem is solved or the project is completed. Coaches work with a range of issues and individuals that are not necessarily tied to a scope of work. As the relationship between the client and coach grows, their value increases. People’s lives are layered and complex. A good coach will enter the relationship with curiosity and an expectation of discovery with their clients.