How To Distinguish A Business Coach From A Consultant?
You may have thought that business coaches are no different than business consultants. These maybe true in some cases since there are overlapping responsibilities between these two roles; however, there are many things to consider if you want a clear distinction between the two. Many people are calling themselves as consultants when what they are doing is actually coaching. Same goes for some who call themselves as business coaches but is actually practicing as a business consultant.
We all know that external help from professionals can boost the performance of a business or make it worst depending on how each case is handled. Your aim for your business is to cut the risks involved and to attain maximum efficiency in your business processes. There will come a time when you will have to decide whether to hire a professional help or confront a certain problem all by yourself. If you decided to seek help, you will have to consider between a business coach and a business consultant. Choosing which will depend on your needs and you must know the difference between the two.
Business consultants are more of a specialist. They specialize in certain areas and they direct these changes in its most precise order. Coaches, on the other hand, are more of a generalist. They tend to look at the situation as a whole and will suggest changes to be done to improve the whole process. Consultants are likely to have advance degrees than coaches in most cases including a wide array of certifications. They also, most of the time, can engage directly to a certain business process while a coach can only explain what to do and guide you by observing how you apply his suggestions. He will then give some feedbacks and additional suggestions. Most of the time, consultants are hired to make quick fix in a certain area of a business process while coaches are retained longer. Coaches also concern themselves with the development of the business owner himself and discuss life and business goals and how to integrate both. Business consultants also do extensive travels more than coaches and are expected to charge more money for their skills and services.
The next time you plan to seek a professional help, assess first the problem and ask yourself what specific part of your business process needs a fix and the needed skills to solve it. It is better to choose consultants for short term business relationship and for quick fixes while business coaches are good for long term business relationship.