The Differences between Coaching, Mentoring, Consulting and Training

In life, we all can do with a helping hand, or a shoulder to lean on. or a light to shine on our path ahead. 

Fortunately a large number of people are available to help us, and they fulfill different roles.

One can sign up for Coaching, Consulting, Mentoring or Counselling. But the key is to know what will be most suitable. And in order to be able to choose from one of these it is important to know the differences 

While each Coach, Mentor and Counsellor is different, the framework for each approach is established. Rules within each framework offer insight into what is available for someone looking for a helping professional. Knowing which might serve you in your personal pursuit toward success is helpful.

With the above context, it is important to not go ahead and hire a coach when the need is to work with a Counsellor or a Consultant. 

So before an individual toys with the idea of working with a Coach, it is important for him or her to understand  how is coaching different from the other common intervention that are accessible in everyday life. 

Difference between Coaching and Mentoring

The ICF defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”

Coaching is a collaborative process. The agenda for each coaching conversation is decided jointly between Coach and the Client. 

The coach DOES NOT have to be  the subject matter expert of the client (coachee’s) topic. 

The Coach is the expert in the facilitation of the coaching process.  

Coaching is not about giving advice or a conversation that offers solutions. 

Rather, coaches gather information in the co-created process of change. This information gathering is through asking questions from a curious stance that will provoke thought in the minds of the client, and 'deep listening' Coaches see their clients as a whole and having the answers inside of them. Together, a path to new ways of existing in the world are developed.

Coaching is short-term, formal & structured, specific & measurable and performance-driven.

Mentoring is about someone with seniority providing informal advice to someone less experienced. Mentoring is typically associated with developing co-workers. 

In most cases, experienced professionals who have seniority are paired with developing professionals.

Mentors give advice based on their personal and professional expertise. Meeting agendas are typically mentee generated, as well as development based questions. The mentee will benefit from the relationship by choosing to follow the mentor’s path toward development.

Mentoring is long-term, informal, development-driven with looser parameters for growth

Training (a sub set of Mentoring)

A trainer generally passes on knowledge and advice. This is primarily due to their expertise in that field. In many ways, it is similar to mentoring. The difference between training and mentoring is that mentoring is less formal and usually done one-to-one or in small groups. Training on the other hand, is usually more formal and generally done in larger groups. Training entails teaching, because it passes on advice and knowledge. 

Difference between Coaching and Counselling

Many aspects of Coaching and Counselling are overlapping and therefore misconceptions are abundant. 

In general, counsellors are trained to skilfully ask questions with the intention to diagnose and help clients with their problems including emotional trauma, past events or dysfunction. It is for this reason, that counsellors generally require a license to practise. 

Although not exclusively, a counsellor tends to focus on past events as they impact on the present experience of their clients. Counselling does not typically emphasise what a person should do and how he or she should take action. 

Counselling is typcially retrospective where a client has decreased level of individual functioning. Counselling is typically generated through illness or dysfunction and may involve medication and collaborative care with a medical team. It is aimed at healing for maladptive behaviors, or recovery from past trauma. In counselling, a practitioner is seen as an authority.

Another difference is that a higher level of self-disclosure is allowed in coaching. Dual relationships in counseling, such as meeting with a client for coffee, are taboo, where coaching relationships can often overlap. (A coach can be anyone - a friend or a relative, provided he is trained to coach and provided he or she is not too close to the client and the issues the client faces). 

The protection of boundaries for a counselor is essential and is expected under licensing expectations. This is in place to protect both client and counselor in a therapeutic setting.

If a coach is properly trained, he or she will know when their client requires the help of a 'licensed mental health professional'

Coaching sits in the realm of creating solutions through skilful questioning. 

In Coaching the focus is prospective, and the orientation is on on solution & capacity for change.

Coaching is achievement-focused or goal-oriented. More importantly it is co-created. It is NOT diagnostic in nature. The clients are viewed as already whole when entering a coaching relationship. The change is is self-developed

Difference between Coaching and Consulting

A consultant is an expert who is called upon (generally by Organizations - not individuals)  for professional or technical advice or opinions. They are relied on to understand the problem and present solutions around their area of expertise. 

Many former leaders of industry decide to become coaches as a half-step towards retirement, but actually have no coaching qualifications or skills at all. This is another key area of confusion as unsuspecting organisations seek to engage coaches and end up hiring consultants. 

Consulting is unlike coaching because with pure coaching, the answers come from the client. Consultants typically give you answers while coaches are skilled at asking great questions so you take a lead role in identifying your own solutions.

Conclusion

Clients should be mindful of the difference in the various modalities of help they can get. If a client suffers from psychological disorders like anxiety depression, coaching is NOT the way to seek help. Or if a client is on a continuous self development journey, and needs to learn from the experiences of a senior then mentoring may be the way to go. 

If Organizations needs quick fix solutions to problems they face, they may require the advice of an experienced consultant. 

On the other hand, if a client recognizes there is need for self improvement, and is highly motivated to work towards self improvement on his own, but needs a guide to chalk out a structured path forward, Coaching may be the right way to go.