So What’s the Difference Between a Consultant and a Coach Anyway?
I spent more than a decade identifying myself as a consultant. And not just any old type of consultant, but a strategy consultant, no less!
And now I'm a coach.
I've perhaps gone into the one profession where it's more difficult to explain what you actually do than in consulting.
Nevertheless, I’m going to try to illustrate some of the differences that I've observed. I know this will involve a ton of generalisations and oversimplifications.
Sorry!
What Do Consultants Do?
I'm a big believer in the value of consultants. Consultants bring effective teams, processes, experience, expertise and insight to support their clients, and this frequently helps transform the company.
Broadly speaking, clients look to consultants for insights (what are the facts, and what do they mean?) and recommendations (what shall I/we do about these facts, and how should I/we go about that?). Sometimes they're also looking for skilled support to put the recommendations into practice.
There are many situations where this is just what is needed — where a particular set of facts and observations indicates a particular set of actions. In these situations, experience and expertise are valuable allies, and having the right consultant can not only save huge amounts of time, but also reduce risk.
So Where Does Coaching Fit Then?
Well...
What about those times when the best plans don’t end up happening?
What if expertise and experience are already present in abundance, but goals are still out of reach?
What happens when facts and analysis aren’t enough to choose between viable options?
Where consulting uses facts to inform actions, coaching looks at behaviours to shine a light on beliefs and values.
Because when you uncover values (personal or organisational) you can see what changes will be energising and motivating, because they're aligned with values. At the same time, you can see what changes will be draining and will meet resistance, because they're misaligned.
And I don’t mean the values that companies publish on their websites as part of their branding. I mean the values that live in the culture of every organisation and in the character of each individual.
When you shine a light on beliefs, you understand better the lenses through which you view the world and see (or don’t see) options.
· When I believe something is impossible for me, that’s my reality, and I just won’t try it. There’s no point.
· When I believe something is my fault, then as far as I’m concerned it is, and I may feel guilty for hours, days or even years, potentially affecting relationships, self-worth and choice of actions.
But in either case, if a belief changes, the “reality” experienced by the individual changes, opening up new alternatives, which may have seemed impossible before. By shining a light on beliefs and values, you can work on and refine them, spot where they may be blocking you unnecessarily, and find a way through or around the blockage.
How Can A Coach Help Explore the Subjective Inner World?
Where facts and behaviours are largely public and objective, values and beliefs are private, personal and subjective. This is the world where are hopes and dreams and creativity lie, but our fears and insecurities also lurk in the shadows. So, most of the time, we just stay away.
Where a consulting relationship is built on trust that comes from experience, expertise, skills, capabilities and track record, a coaching relationship is built on trust that comes from acceptance, openness, curiosity, deep listening and connection — the sort of relationship that helps to keep the fears and insecurities at bay long enough to explore this inner world and find the good stuff!
In the course of our work, my clients frequently express thoughts, ideas, hopes, dreams, fears, triumphs and more that they've never shared with anyone before. In fact, they may not even have realise they had them. Neither coach nor client knows what they'll find, nor what will happen when they find it.
Exploring while genuinely not knowing has been the hardest change for me to make since I started coaching. The exciting thing is that what surfaces is almost always an important missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle — one which helps many other things make sense and fall into place.
Exploring and not knowing may seem like strange starting points for a professional relationship. However, both client and coach invest in the work, as they believe in the value of uncovering these unknown missing pieces.
Do I Need a Consultant or a Coach?
So, if you’re looking for someone to give you expert advice and recommendations, look for a consultant. I know a few good ones and would be more than happy to point you in their direction.
If you’re looking for someone to explore the landscape around your challenges, though, and help you find your own answers by searching with you for those missing jigsaw pieces, then it may be that a coach is closer to what you’re looking for.
Both coaches and consultants have valuable roles to play — if you’re interested in exploring the difference, please get in touch.
Richard Smith, March 2022
Richard is an executive coach who works with founders, CEOs, senior leaders and professionals in career transition. You can subscribe to his newsletter here: https://www.setforth.pro/newsletter