Workflow has slowed to a crawl. Projects are backing up. Clients are complaining. You want outside help, but who do you turn to? Should you call a business consultant or a business coach?
The line between a business consultant and a business coach has become blurred.
People often use the terms interchangeably, unsure of the differences between the two. To be fair, when there are consultants in the marketplace, calling themselves coaches and coaches, consultants, this confusion is inevitable. So, what are the differences between business consultants and business coaches?
Role of Business Consultant | Role of Business Coach |
· Focus their expertise on business · Answer questions · Versed in business strategy · Analyze goals · Provide opinions · Teach skills · Tailor solutions · Integrate new systems · Turn a business into a company |
· Focus their expertise on people · Ask questions · Develop an organizational purpose · Expand the preexisting skills of people · Address mindset issues · Motivate · Create action plans · Provide support and accountability · Turn an entrepreneur into a leader |
Five Categories of Business Consultants
Just as consultants and coaches have different roles, consultants, to have different roles.
Operations Consultant: Helps clients improve the performance of office systems, providing a spectrum of services from advising to hands-on implementation
Strategy Consultant: Focus on strategy items such as corporate strategies and organizational strategies, typically working with CEOs and senior management
IT Consultant: Helps clients develop, apply, and integrate information technology, including cybersecurity and IT forensics
Human Resource Consultant: Focuses on human capital, addressing management changes, transforming organizational culture, or reorganizing the current HR department
Financial Advisory Consultant: Focus on organizational financial capabilities, ranging from M&A consulting, tax advising, and corporate finance
For more information visit: Orca Management Consulting
Written by: Mark Rothman, Esquire