Coaching vs. Consulting

“We make a living from what we get but we make a life from what we give.”      Charles Kettering

I remember when I hired my first coach, he asked me whether my desire was to work with a coach or a consultant.  Truthfully, I didn’t really know the distinction between the two.  I was at a time I my career where I was searching for growth and simplicity all wrapped into one.  I knew that to grow emotionally and productively that I would have to slay some of the sacred cows that held me back in practice but I really didn’t want a plastic, Rah-Rah, approach to number growth. My situation was a little bit unique as I was at a transitional time where I had already achieved a substantial practice and was searching for the “what’s next?”  However, I soon realized that the process of change was the same, regardless of where you were on the continuum.

I had committed to the coach and his success without really thinking through what context I would be coached or consulted through.  I had thrown my trust in him and here he was asking the question that would really frame our experience.  What was the difference?  As I would come to learn and experience through that relationship and through the training and the thousands of clients I have worked with is that there is an absolute necessity to blend the two concepts rather than keep them separate.

The joy of being coached is the inner exploration of what drives you.  The joy of consulting is in creating a unique, personalized framework that optimizes the expression of your passion to serve.  Coaching is process that unlocks talent.  Consulting is using best practice procedures and implementing them through leadership and management. You have to know yourself and have enough self esteem to spend the time, energy and focused commitment to make your system come alive. The passion for your services to be displayed and utilized in the marketplace should be strong enough to drive you to make the tough choices and the systematic changes. 

A coach’s responsibility and skill is probably best described as being a trusted advisor.  The trust comes from the ability to do that unlocking and nurturing of the innate talent.  The advisor describes the “walk in my shoes” concept.  Experience is such a good teacher and coaching should bring enormous experience to the table:  experience in management modeling, experience in relationship building, experience in personal foundation development and experience in creating success strategies.  

This distinction between coaching and consulting is relevant every day in our lives and in our practices.  I believe the mission to become the patient’s trusted advisor is the far reaching goal in the relationship.  Contrast this with the dispensation of medical advice that we see all too often in walk-in clinics. The “don’t bother me” approach reduces the service session to a technician experience for both the provider and the patient.  Developing the role as a trusted advisor takes a bit longer and a lot more emotional connectivity but the rewards are exponential.  Coaching your patients towards wellness decisions and standing by them when they falter is why we give of our time.  Just think of the untapped talent and potential that a coach could unlock and nurture vs. being their health care consultant. Ask yourself how big the fellow within really is.

We are only gifted a short stay as practitioners in this wonderful playground known as career and practice.  The time flies by and although the lessons are in the mistakes, there are so many tolerations and repetitions that slow us down and waste life energy.  Coaching with a trusted advisor can make the difference. 

Create a GAP( Greatness Action Plan) and bridge the gap between where you are and where you know you will be. Call in for a free consultation to see if GAP Coaching is for you.  We now offer extremely affordable monthly coaching plans and of course can customize the experience to meet your needs and desires.