What Would Coach Do? (Comparing Coaching and...)
A 3-Minute Read By James Ward.
“Coach” has become a buzzword applied to many of the helping modalities- consultant, mentor, trainer, therapist, friend. She’s “coaching me” on how to attract new clients. He’s “coaching me” on how to use the new software. They’re “coaching me” through this…
As a Coach, one of my super-powers is clarifying. When communicating with someone else, I want to ensure that I know what they mean when they use a certain word or phrase and, more importantly, that THEY know what they mean. The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as a “Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
But, how is a Coach different from the other helping modalities in practice? Using the analogy of learning to ride a bike, let’s explore how a handful of these roles would approach a “client”. As you read, I encourage you to pause and reflect how each of these professionals might be able to help you with the challenges you’re currently facing.
The Consultant: “Based on your height, weight and how you intend to ride, the ___ bike is your best choice. I’ll teach you how to ride it, and if necessary, ride the bike for you.” The Consultant will typically have an agenda and some possible answers to the issue/s a client is facing. As subject matter experts, they will bring those answers to the client as suggestions and possibly help with implementation for the length of their contract. They may have formal training around specific models or systems and subject-matter experience.
The Mentor: “I remember when I learned to ride a bike. You need to get some training wheels and practice in the church parking lot. Let me know if you have any questions, I’m happy to help!” The Mentor has “been there” and is happy to “show you the ropes”. They will use their personal experiences as the model for success and serve as an advisor. Mentors typically have no formal training aside from their experience.
The Trainer: “In my 6-part webinar series, I will show you how the most-successful cyclists learned to ride their bike.” The Trainer brings a specific agenda to teach specific information, the accountability for learning is entirely on the client. Trainers may have experience or formal training that increases their impact.
The Therapist: “Let’s figure out WHY you want to ride the bike and explore your past for clues to why you are having difficulty.” Therapy often dives into deep-seated emotional issues to work on personal healing or trauma recovery. Therapists have substantial formal training to help clients fix problems, develop skills for managing emotions or situations, overcome past issues, and sometimes manage mental illness.
The Friend: “I can’t believe you don’t know how to ride a bike. I wouldn’t worry about it through, I mean, who even rides a bike anymore? Seems exhausting!” We all know the value of a best friend, but they usually have their own agendas and, more often than not, they are all too happy to give advice. Friends also may not recognize or be willing to point out various issues hat need to be worked on.
The Coach: “I will help you understand how and why you ride a bicycle, help you to determine what's holding you back from riding properly, and jog along next to you as YOU ride.” Unlike the other roles, the Coach’s only agenda is helping the client achieve the outcome they desire. Coaches are trained professionals who can be trusted to work on the most important aspects of a client’s life without giving personal advice; The client is the expert on their own life. The coach is the expert in the coaching process and challenges their client in a supportive way. Unlike the other relationships, the coach “partners” with the client to move them forward.
What would be possible for you and your business if you partnered with a trained, professional Coach? I’d love to schedule a FREE, no obligation exploratory call with you today!