Why a Coach is NOT a Consultant

Often while talking to people about my coaching practice I get asked what the difference is between a coach and a consultant. Many people believe they are either the same thing or very similar. This is untrue. There are many distinct differences between someone who coaches and someone who consults.

First lets start with a definition of both.

Coaching is an interactive relationship with an individual or team that inspires people to identify and accomplish their personal and professional goals faster then they could on their own. Coaches do this in a variety of ways, some of which include:

*Personalize teaching
*Provocative conversation and questioning
*Expanding awareness
*Designing environments
*Co-creating solutions

Consulting is about giving direct answers to specific questions or problems. A consultant provides professional advice and services that he or she develops.

So, what are some examples of differences between coaching and consulting?

Coaching is about asking all the right questions while consulting is about having all the right answers. Consultants don't listen as much as they tell while coaches listen and speak very little.

In coaching, the individual or team chooses the focus of conversation while the coach is there to listen, ask provocative questions, make observations and provide advice when asked for it. Consultants are there to give you their advice and tell you what to do to fix your problem or reach your goal. They have all the answers while a coach will co-create a solution or a path to a specific goal with you.

Consulting usually concentrates on company operations and corporate concerns while coaching is focused on you as an individual.

Consultants tend to use one methodology and apply this to all client projects which works well if you are in an established industry. Coaches customize their methods to each clients expressed needs and wants.

The end result of consulting is usually a report containing a plan of action. A report, or assessment, in coaching is usually the beginning of the relationship. Consultants expect you to follow their plan on your own while coaches are there to help you implement the plan.

It's been my observation that people tend to follow through better and for longer periods of time when they come up with the answers to their problems themselves. Coaches help you do that. A coach does not sell you solutions like a consultant might. They help you find your own solutions and answers which makes you more capable and confident in going forward on your own. Like the old adage says, "Give a man a fish and he has a meal. Teach a man to fish and he has a mean for a lifetime."

Ally Moll is a Life and Creativity Coach located in South Central Wisconsin. She offers one on one coaching to artists and women who want to incorporate more creativity in their lives. Ally helps creative women who are small business owners to create balance between their personal and business lifeand focus their efforts to build their companies faster.

To learn more about her and her services visit http://www.allymoll.com or sign up for her newsletter at http://www.allymoll.com/newsletter

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Coaching Information:

Related Articles

Some Business Coaches are in Error
Many business coaches deny the power of suggestion while using it. For instance a corporate inner circle will be told that they have inner conflicts with ethical practice due to the stockholders coming first, the customers coming second and employees coming third.
Nourishing Your Network
It takes less effort to keep an existing customer than to gain a new customer.This is Business 101.
Ten Ways to Make New Years Resolutions That You Can Actually Keep!
Are you one of the millions of people who make big New Year's Resolutions each year, only to watch those resolutions fall by the wayside mere days or weeks later? Would you like to be able to set New Year's Resolutions that you can actually keep? It might be easier than you think!Choose your resolutions carefully. These should be things that you really want and are ready to work on, not just things that you think you should work on.
Becoming An Empowered Consumer
How many times have you said to yourself?"I just wish that company would treat me like they appreciated my business!"?For many years I trained Customer Service Reps at a large corporation. There is no doubt that it was during those years I personally became a consumer with rather high standards and expectations.
Do You Make These Common Mistakes When Talking to People?
Many moons ago. Talking to people was something I avoided where possible.
Home For The Holidays
In my husband's family, family members send Christmas cards to other family members (parents to children, brothers and sisters to one another, etc.) even though the family always spends time together at Christmas for a meal and gift exchange.
Addiction to Blame
Allen consulted with me because his wife of 18 years had threatened to leave him if he didn't stop blaming her all the time. He admitted to frequently blaming her in a variety of situations.
Trust In The Moment, and Trust In Yourself
Do you often get yourself upset and feeling less than fully confident, as part of your preparation for facing a daunting challenge? You can improve your performance if you let your somatic intelligence lead the way."You move too much to be effective.
What is Coaching?
Recently, I have received several emails asking me about coaching and what it is exactly. So, I decided to answer some of those questions in this article.
How to Get a Grip on Your Money
Most people have no idea where their money goes. They earn it and they spend it.
How to Get More Business Without Even Trying
Why are you in business? Hopefully you enjoy what you do, however is it because you want to make money so that you can have, be and do more in your life?Who pays you? Your clients do and never forget that. Unfortunately many people do.
Integrating Life and Work
Organizations are finally creating cultures that support a work and life balance for their employees. After years of demanding high productivity and increasing on the job hours and expectations and not achieving the hoped-for better results, companies are finally embracing polices and procedures that support employees in integrating their life and work experience.
Skills for Change
The name of the game is CHANGE -- that's true at work, and it's also true in life. In both situations there are FOUR skills you can trust:1.
One BIG Way To Increase Your Values and Self-Esteem
One hour here, two hours there, even fifteen minutes, it alladds up, and quickly too. Television is toxic to our self-esteem.
Top Ten Tips for Living Authentically
1. Know your purposeAre you wandering through life with little direction - hoping that you'll find happiness, health and prosperity? Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth north every time.
If What You Are Doing Is Not Working Change Your Approach
And ironically the more we worry about it, the more tense we getand the more likely we are to say something stupid.Let us a take a look at some remedies:1 Learn to relax when you feel under pressure.
The Incredible Rightness of Being
An Age-Old QuestionSearching for more meaning in our lives has been an age-old preoccupation for us humans. Why am I here? What am I meant to do? What's the point of it all? And, most importantly in the modern-day world, what is it that will make me happy?Dissatisfaction, or "Gimme More!"It is human nature that when we feel dissatisfied with something - be it our jobs, our homes, our relationships, or even our lives in general - we feel there is something missing.
Do you know WHAT MAKES ME MAD?? It makes me SO MAD I just want to...
Sound familiar? If you want to manage anger, the only way of doing so is to listen to your self-talk. This doesn't mean listening to yourself talk.
Burn-Out ...Whats Next?
If you feel the heat of burn-out, it is possible to stop the fire before it stops you. Burn-out burns out confidence trust hope Burn-out can burn up your job your marriage your friendships There is a simple strategy for helping yourself prevent burn-out, especially if you are a person with more responsibilities than choices.
How to Make $100,000 as a Personal Trainer
In the movie, "The Gladiator," Emperor Commodus' rose to power early on because he realized what was most important to the people of Rome. Most would believe influence would be gained by the accumulation of wealth and fame.