We often get asked, what’s the difference between a coaching engagement and a consulting engagement with us. It’s simple, but blurred. Here’s how we think about it.
Coaching / mentoring
A coaching engagement focuses primarily on the individual’s current and future performance.
While much of what we talk about discusses the specifics of the role and the work, the ultimate focus is on you.
It is conversation-based and we don’t look at any artefacts or any of your work. We take your word for it so while we’ll be closing the Johari Window, it won’t be informed by looking at your work.
Coaching and mentoring can be funded by the employer. Or it can be self-funded if you can’t get your employer to pay, or you want to augment what you have in place or want to broaden your horizons beyond your current employer.
We also do a lot of this for executives in transition – before or after leaving a role.
Self-funded coaching is at a discount from our corporate rates (generally 1/3rd less). You can find out about our coaching here.
Consulting / Advisory
Consulting focuses on the specifics of strategy and execution in your current role and leading your current team.
Coaching and mentoring is baked in at no charge with these assignments, but it is in-the-moment, usually organic and unstructured and anchored whatever work we are doing at the time. Leadership development and effectiveness coaching is part of how we work, but personal development is not the primary focus of a consulting engagement unless you’ve engaged us specifically a capability-building assignment.
In an advisory assignment, there is a specific outcome in mind, such as getting clarity on a problem, confirmation on direction or advice on the best way to do things.
Advisory means we can dive deep and look at artefacts in a confidential way – as often, how things are communicated, presented and delivered is a big part of the puzzle. There are genuine blind spot reductions in this and the opportunity for 1% tweaks that generate transformative impacts.
Often it’s only by seeing your artefacts that we really give us a sense of where the opportunities and sticking points are. This helps us do this.
Here’s some of the ways we can help.
Which to choose
If you want to really get value from us and drive transformative change informed by real data, go with advisory. If budget is an issue we can find something highly leveraged to suit.
If getting any budget is an issue or you want to keep it light or focused on you, go with coaching.
Drop us a line to let us know how you think we might help and we’ll book a discovery call at no charge.