Coaching vs Consulting- What’s the Difference?

What’s the difference between the two, and how do you decide who you are looking for… a coach or a consultant? Well, it depends on what your particular situation is.

So here are a few basics to keep in mind from my perspective.

Professional coaches are experts in coaching. They’re probably also pretty good at a few other areas, but their expertise, their training, their certification, is in the field of coaching. Coaches, like myself have gone to school to learn how to be a good Coach.

Consultants are experts in a particular field, be it technology, human resources, marketing, accounting, organizational development, and many other areas.

Not to say that many consultants don’t use coaching techniques in their consulting practice. And not to say that many coaches don’t draw on their areas of knowledge during the ongoing coaching relationship and conversations. But the basic difference is in the focus of expertise.

In my current working life, I wear both hats. I am a marketing/communications consultant and a career/life coach and I have different clients for each of those areas. I’ve often said that as a consultant, my clients expect me to have the answers. But as a coach I earn my clients respect and trust by asking powerful and insightful questions.

You may ask yourself “why would I pay someone to ask me questions”?

If you could spend an hour every couple of weeks in relationship with someone who you trust, who is there just for you, who is fully trained and skilled at helping you figure out where you want to get to next ; be it career, life, performance, relationships, business, leadership… and who, through the art and heart of conversation helps you discover who you are at your very best, would that be time and money well spent? If so- it’s a Coach you are looking for!

Having a Coach can be life changing. What kind of a change are you ready for?