Coach Vs Consultant – What Difference Does It Make?
Does it make a difference in your fees? Are coaches more expensive? Or would a consultant be paid more? Does it really matter?
What difference does it make?
When I first met the business consultant, I thought he was a remarkable man, offering his service for a nice fee to help set a business back on it’s feet and revive the objective of being in business – make a profit. He offered up some friendly advice and challenged the business owner to accomplish some worthwhile goals that would change the outcome of current business practices. Then proceeded to explain to me the difference between a consultant (him) and a coach (me).
Coaches – help individual people meet their motivation head on, become inspired and accomplish their dreams. In reality, a coach is a person who encourages you to accomplish your goals and meet your personal potential.
Consultants – review a business position and present a projection of where the business will go if nothing changes, then change the business to meet a different expectation. In short a consultant is a person who helps a business discover and achieve its full potential.
The three steps taken by both consultants and coaches ultimately help either an individual or a business to achieve their full potential:
Step #1 – Review current status of individual or business.
Generally accomplished through an interview, a look at the persons current situation or the business financial position with a review and ultimately results.
Step #2 – Review of current actions and adjustment to redirect.
Step two comes in two parts, the review of current status and assessment of what will happen depending on a downturn, remain the same or an upturn of events. Then the adjustment assessment of what needs to be changed, who will make the changes and how they will effect the business or individual as a whole. This can take some time, from a few days to a few months, plus implimentation of the process, which is required to make the difference.
Step #3 – Review of check points to reference change and accomplishment.
Regardless of the direction taken, a quality coach/consultant will want periodic reviews of the situation to determine the expected results and achievement. Without this process, the coach/consultant will not know if he was successful in making the changes required.