I sometimes get the question, “What’s the difference between a coach and a consultant?”  On the surface the two roles are quite similar.  Both coach and consultant are often hired because of their “outsider” status and ability to bring a fresh perspective to what’s happening in a business or with a team.  Both coach and consultant also have specific expertise such as strategy development, team effectiveness or leadership that they bring to their clients. 

So what is the difference between a coach and a consultant?  It’s primarily about the approach that the coach takes in working with you.  Here are the unique paradigm shifts that a coach makes in supporting individuals and teams in getting results. 

1.      You have the answers or can find them.  Most consulting contracts are based on the assumption that the consultant has the solution.  In contrast, coaching begins with the premise that you, the client, have the answers or can find them.  By asking open-ended questions that invite introspection, a coach can empower you to come up with your own solutions.  This expands your capacity to ask the right questions long after the coaching engagement ends.

2.      The focus is on you rather than your circumstances.  In most consulting relationships, primary focus is given to fixing a problem: lackluster sales performance or a team in conflict are two examples.  The coach, on the other hand, stays focused on the client – what you want to create and who you want to become (either individually or as a business.)  This stance is useful for two reasons.  It gives you the ability to be proactive rather than reactive, and it allows you to focus on the bigger picture rather than getting stuck in the problem. 

3.      You are responsible for the agenda and results.  In consulting, the focus and outcomes are driven by the outside expert.  In coaching, you are responsible not only for identifying what will be achieved but the steps to getting there.  This may seem like a disadvantage; after all, what are you paying the coach for?  The reality is that you know yourself and your business better than anyone.  By keeping you in charge of both the process and the results, you are more likely to get results that are effective and sustainable.   

A good friend of mine shared the following story with me. It demonstrates the coaching stance beautifully. 

A man had moved his family to a farm to get them to a more wholesome setting.  One day, he and his daughter were watching a duckling hatch and break loose from the shell.  The little girl helped the duckling by cracking the shell free and setting the duckling free.  An hour later the duckling was dead. From this experience, the father and daughter learned that the struggle to break from the shell is part of the process that equips the duckling with the skills necessary to succeed.  Without breaking through its own limitations and barriers, it doesn’t build the strengths to survive.

A coach approach maximizes the success of individuals and organizations by increasing their capacity to solve problems and get positive results without an outside expert.  When we learn how to break through our own barriers, we truly internalize both the process and the reward.