Every person in the world needs a coach – Everyone! This is the response I received when I asked a senior executive of a billion-dollar company this question – What have you found to be the greatest need in your organization?
Though I highly value coaching – his answer wasn’t what I expected. Maybe I expected him to say improved communication. Possibly, more collaborative teamwork. Or even, more talented team members.
Yet, as I’ve considered his response since our conversation, it makes perfect sense. You see, coaching does facilitate improvements in communication, highly collaborative teamwork, talented and passionate team members, and much more.
I have worked with executive coach Raymond Gleason since 2011. And I highly recommend Building Champions for business and executive coaching and Ministry Coaching International for ministry coaching.
The majority of the content on this blog is concepts I’ve learned through my coaching relationships – with my coach and through coaching others.
So, let’s cut to the chase. If we agree that everyone needs a coach, then what is a coach?
Is a coach a mentor? A friend? A counselor?
Some like to compare a professional coach to an athletic coach. And while there are certainly similarities, I have found it most helpful to consider how a coach differs from a consultant, a mentor, a counselor.
It is important to note that no one role is better than the other. Each has its own intrinsic purpose and value.
When seeking help, one should consider each role without getting “hung up” on any previous notion. At some point in your life or in work you will need each of these.
So, how do they match up?
Consultant – Expert Adviser
Consultants are hired because of their expertise in a given area. They primarily perform 3 functions for clients: provide information, offer advice, and give direction.
Mentor – Experienced Adviser
A consultant has expertise, a mentor has experience. Experience and trust are essential in a mentoring relationship.
Counselor – Expert Health Guide
Counselors (or therapists) are, like consultants, hired for their expertise. They have specialized training in such things as healthy communication, parenting, social skills, career development skills, and mental, emotional, psychological, even spiritual health.
They are skilled in uncovering underlying reasons for dysfunction and debilitating conditions such as depression, anxiety, and mood and thought disorders.
A person in need of healing is not yet ready for coaching and should be referred to a counselor. These fundamental issues will need to be addressed before they can effectively pursue greater fulfillment in life and work.
Coach – Guide
A coach does not necessarily require expertise or experience in your field to help you. An exception is executive level coaches. Many executive clients fully expect their coach to have considerable content knowledge and experience.
Consultants and mentors lead and give input; coaches guide and draw out. A coach asks powerful, probing questions which enable clients to discover their own answers.
Similar to counseling, coaches help clients to hear themselves more clearly and gain a greater sense of purpose. The client can then begin defining and prioritizing actions.
These listening skills allow the coach and client to clarify the dreams, goals, and passions of the client and the coach to recommended processes for growth.
The coach then is able to help the client develop plans and take action and ensure follow-through. Coaches provide accountability to the degree the client wants or needs.
Counseling vs. Coaching
Counseling primarily deals with the past to the present. Coaching primarily deals with the present to the future.
Counseling is about processing and healing. Coaching is about envisioning and growing.
The comparison below may bring more clarity to the distinctions between counseling and coaching.
Counseling/Therapy Coaching
Insight oriented Action oriented
Focus on past to present Focus on present to future
Healing work Growth work
Relief from pain Pursuit of passion
Reactive Proactive
Pathology & diagnosis Health & wholeness
Medical model Growth model
Therapist/Client responsibility Client responsibility
More supportive More edgy
More stigma Less stigma
Billed to insurance Self-pay
Question: How would you improve one or more of the descriptions? Join the conversation in the comments.
Thanks again for a thoughtful blog. I have always come from a sports viewpoint when it comes to coaching. I prefer the context because I believe that it is where most of us perceive the practice of coaching to originate and make sense. Much of coaching (ICF and others) is simply therapy lite. It requires no content knowledge, no expertise other that the standard phrase “asking powerful questions”. I see coaching as including all the designations you have identified but the coach uses them as and when needed to identify Talent, develop Talent and then find ways to have that Talent be successful. Some coaches are brilliant strategists and others great motivators. Some are exceptional position coaches and others know how to build teams. ……just a few thoughts.
Some areas listed under coaching may be accomplished only when the “why” question has been achieved through counseling. For example, understanding past to present may help to remove any barriers that are holding someone from moving through the present to future. Just a thought…great post!
As a coach working with faith leaders, I appreciate the distinctions you’ve drawn here, Michael. There’s still a lot of confusion, in the Church world especially, around the differences between coaching and other disciplines. Clarifying these distinctions can really help leaders find the specific kind of support they need more quickly. So thanks!
Thank you, Michael. I think you’re right. Noting the distinctions helped me as well.
True David. Thanks for weighing in!
Good post, great job of defining definitively these few words. I like how you implied each one phrase is a step in the process.
Thanks Nate.
I’ve heard it said the original definition of coaching comes from “Stage Coach”, which in the context of coaching is a mode of transportation to get a person from one place to the next.
Interesting. Thanks David!
Interesting. Thanks David!
I always thought that good coaching included aspects of consultant, mentor, and counselor.
Same here Joe. But I’ve found that, depending on a variety of issues and circumstances, good coaching doesn’t have to integrate those things. Thanks buddy!
I love the detailed description of each of these different roles. Never really given it much thought before, but each of these are so very different. This is helpful and relevant, thanks for sharing it with us!
Thanks Katie!
Thorough breakdown- good job.
I agree, throughout life we will need all these things and we can’t expect one person to all of this (though some are capable of doing more than one role).
And because people need all these things, we too must be these things for others.
Yep – I’ve worked with all four. Thanks my friend!