When reflecting on how I actually support the people I work with (regardless of how we started working together), I find myself moving back and forth along a spectrum of coaching, mentoring, consulting and advising, depending on their specific needs as an individual, group or team. I'm told by the people I work with that it's extremely beneficial to them, but how do I describe it simply enough so that people 'get it'?
Let's start off by defining a few terms.
What is Coaching?
Coaching is a collaborative and usually goal-oriented process where a trained professional, known as a coach, helps coachees (individuals, groups or teams) clarify their goals, identify and overcome challenges, and achieve personal or professional successful outcomes. Through active listening, curious questioning, and feedback, coaches truly empower coachees to explore their potential, make informed decisions, and develop effective strategies (a fancy word for a plan) for growth. The coaching relationship is built on trust and focuses on the coachee's self-discovery, enabling them to maximize their abilities and reach their desired outcomes. The coach 'holds' the space for the coachee, allowing them to think, explore, and discover their own answers. The coach essentially questions the coachee's questions.
And Mentoring?
Mentoring is a developmental relationship where an experienced and knowledgeable individual, known as a mentor, provides guidance, advice, and support to a less experienced person, known as a mentee. Mentoring involves sharing experience, expertise, insights, and knowledge to help the mentee achieve their professional or personal goals. It often includes providing encouragement, feedback, and networking opportunities, fostering the mentee's growth, confidence, and skill development. The mentor essentially answers the mentee's questions.
So, what is Consulting then?
Consulting is a professional service provided by experts or consultants to individuals, businesses, or organisations to help them solve specific problems, improve performance, or achieve their objectives. Consultants are hired for their specialised knowledge, skills, and experience in a particular field. They may conduct assessments, analyse data, offer expert advice, and develop tailored solutions to address challenges, optimise processes, or achieve desired outcomes. Consulting services can cover a wide range of areas, including leadership, management, strategy, finance, marketing, technology, and various other sectors, and often involve collaborating closely with clients to implement recommendations and drive positive change.
Isn't Consulting the same as Advising?
The terms "consulting" and "advising" are often used interchangeably, but they have subtle differences:
Scope of Expertise:
Consultants are typically hired for their specialised knowledge and skills in a specific area. They analyse problems, conduct research, and offer expert advice and solutions to clients, often focusing on optimising processes or achieving specific outcomes.
Advisors provide guidance and recommendations to clients based on their expertise. While advisors can offer specialised knowledge, their role often involves a broader range of topics, including personal development, education, career choices, and general decision-making.
Approach:
Consultants often conduct in-depth assessments, data analysis, and research before providing recommendations. They may work closely with clients to implement solutions and measure their impact.
Advisors focus on offering personalised guidance and support. Their approach is more about sharing insights, providing options, and helping clients make informed decisions based on their individual needs and circumstances.
Client Interaction:
Consultants may have extensive interactions with the client's team, stakeholders, or employees. They collaborate closely to understand the nuances of the organisation's challenges and opportunities.
Advisors typically have one-on-one interactions with individuals seeking guidance. These interactions are often more personal and may involve discussions about career choices, life decisions, or personal development goals.
While these differences exist, it's important to note that the roles of consultants and advisors can overlap, and people offering these services might use the terms based on their specific approach and/or the preferences of their clients.
So, what happens when we combine Coaching and Consulting?
We get CoachSulting, which is a unique blend of coaching and consulting services, designed to offer comprehensive support to individuals and organisations. It combines the transformative approach of coaching, which focuses on personal and professional development, with the strategic insights of consulting, which provides expert advice and solutions to business challenges.
In essence, CoachSultants work closely with their clients to understand their goals, challenges, and aspirations. They use coaching techniques to empower individuals, enhance leadership skills, and foster personal growth. Simultaneously, they apply consulting methods to analyse business processes, identify opportunities, and offer tailored strategies for organisational success.
This hybrid approach ensures a holistic and customised support system, addressing both the personal development needs of individuals, groups or teams, and the strategic requirements of businesses. CoachSulting aims to bring about positive change, improve decision-making, and drive sustainable growth for people and organisations alike.
And when we combine Coaching and Advising?
We get CoachVising. It represents the work of a professional who provides a dual role of coaching and advising to individuals, groups, teams or businesses. The CoachVisor combines the supportive and empowering aspects of coaching with the strategic guidance and expert advice typical of an advisor.
In essence, a CoachVisor works with clients to help them set and achieve personal or professional goals while also providing specific advice and solutions related to their area of expertise. This multifaceted approach allows clients to benefit from both the personal development focus of coaching and the practical, goal-oriented approach of advising. CoachVisors are skilled in guiding individuals or organisations through challenges, fostering growth, and offering strategic insights to achieve desired outcomes.
So, where does this leave us?
Good question.
I offer Coaching, Mentoring, Consulting and Advisory services. I deliver all of them in a supportive coaching style.
I'm comfortable with the term CoachSultant, and also the term CoachVisor, but not so sure about combining into a single descriptor, i.e., CoachSultantVisor.
The following diagram might help with perspective, and what I can say is I am comfortable in all of the areas, and love jumping between them as needs require, something which some coaches, mentors, consultants and advisors are afraid of for some reason. For me, if that's what you need, that's what you get!
What do you think? How would you describe my offering? Do I even need a label?
Thanks for reading.
Please share and comment below, and do let me know how I can help.