There are significant differences between coaches and consultants, you need to be aware of and understand these before investing in their support. Lee explains what the distinctions are and how understanding your situation can help you to select the most effective support to get what you actually need for your business.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Knowing when to employ the services of a consultant or coach are crucial to further your capability or to help you solve a problem.

It’s about you or it’s about me

• Coaching seeks to pull the answers from the client whilst a consultant will tell you what to do or identifies what to do.

Building capability versus solving a problem

• Coaching is building the capability the people, consultancy is about resolving a specific challenge.

Exploring versus providing possibilities

• When you coach you explore the possibilities when you consult you provide the possibilities.

Asking questions versus providing solutions

• Consultants diagnose a problem and make a recommendation about how to tackle it and will then work with you to resolve the issue
• Coaches partner with the client to ascertain and clarify the questions that need to be answered in order to move forward.
• The key difference between coaches and consultants is where the focus is.
• For a consultant, the focus is on solving the specific problem
• For a coach, the focus is on the client and helping them tap into and develop their own abilities to solve the problem.
• To sustain any change people must be involved in the process. Before you seek any external resources it is crucial to understand what the situation is and what you are trying to solve.

BEST MOMENTS

‘You will know the potential risks of not changing’

‘A coach is a good listener’

‘A consultant uses their eyes to see the processes’

“It’s possible to be called one and display the traits of the other’

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Business Problems Solved Podcast

ABOUT THE HOST

For the last 15 years, I have been a multi-sector internal or external business improvement consultant, building the improved capability of individuals, teams and businesses.

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my two young children Jack & India. I also enjoy listening to and reading business & personal development material.

Lee Houghton is “THE Business Problem Solver”, a Management Consultant, CX Specialist and Keynote Speaker.

CONTACT METHOD

You can contact Lee Houghton on 07813342194

Lee@leehoughton.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lhoughton/