Coaching VS. Consulting
Given the growth potential of the business coaching category, one of the questions most asked of an ActionCOACH is the difference between coaching and consulting.
“The best way to describe the distinctions between a coach and consultant is that a consultant will provide a solution for the client, while a coach will ask the right questions so that clients can discover or find the solution for themselves,” ActionCOACH Master Licensee for New Zealand Alan Edelmann said.
An Interactive Process
“Coaching presumes owners have the answers. It is a more interactive process that builds from the bottom-up, rather than a consultant model that operates from
the top-down.
Jerome Jacobs , an ActionCOACH from Auckland, New Zealand, agrees.
“The consultant typically presents a series of solutions,” she said.
“Coaches help guide owners to find results through their own thinking processes and problem-solving skills. This allows clients to ‘own’ results because their actions are ultimately guided by their individual way of
reasoning and ability to get the right things done.”
Time, Team and Money
In the ActionCOACH model, the primary focus on “Time, Team and Money” exists because over the years, it has found those factors are the main issues the majority of business owners want to improve.
“My mission is to help my clients find their own answers to leverage each of those areas based on our system,” Jacobs said.
“Sometimes, a consultant will actually do the work, or work on a specific project in an effort to enhance a business. The role of the coach is really to challenge an owner to change the business themselves.”
Alan put it another way.
“I read somewhere once that a consultant will explain why one car is better than another, will teach you how to drive the car, and might even drive the car for you,” he said.
“A coach on the other hand will show you why a car is important, help you discover why you have trouble driving it and sit in the passenger’s seat next to you while you drive.”
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