Coaching vs Training vs Consulting

The Internet has brought vast amounts of information to our fingertips. With all this information, and the rapid advancement in many industries (especially those which are Internet-related), there is often room for confusion, and ambiguity. For example, Gary Vaynerchuk (one of the people who really get Social Media) believes that Web 2.0 equals Social Media. He believes they’re synonymous terms. I don’t believe this. I believe that Web 2.0 is all of the Web – and that Social Media is but a component of that bigger whole. It’s a significant component, but a component – lesser than the whole – nonetheless. Similarly, there is disagreement about even what the term Web 2.0 really means, there is disagreement about the true meanings of terms like Social Media, Social Networking, and so on. Just this morning Adrienne Michetti said this on Twitter: “Hmmm. I don’t usually consider blogs to be social media. But perhaps they are. What do you think?” – a proof that these terms are still trying to be understood by all of us.

This confusion and continuous debate is to be understood. Just a few years ago we never knew these terms. These technologies never existed, and were beyond our imagination. Tweeting, blogging, etc are new words, describing new things we do daily.

What is very interesting though, is the confusion between terms we know for ages. I’d like to explore 3 terms which I think are widely misunderstood. Coaching, Training, and Consulting. If you go to the websites of some companies offering either of these services, what they actually do often does not accurately fit the term they’re using.

About 2 weeks ago I was sitting in the lobby of an office building waiting for someone with whom I had scheduled a meeting. I enjoy waiting. It gives my time to read, think, relax, or just observe my surroundings. On this particular day I picked up a business magazine from the coffee table and browsed through it. I came across an very interesting advertorial, which I think provided an excellent metaphor to describe the difference between these 3 terms.

A business coach is like the coach of an Olympic swimmer. This coach never gets in the water, this coach walks along the edge of the pool motivating and guiding the swimmer. Note here that the swimmer already knows how to swim, the coach is merely improving the skills and outputs of the swimmer.

A business trainer is like someone who teaches someone how to swim. The trainer can be in the water, or not. The point of departure here is that the person being trained or taught does not know how to swim, or does not know how to swim at the level that he or she would like. The trainer might teach new techniques and new ideas to swim better.

A business consultant is like a swimming mate – someone who is there in the water with the swimmer all the time, offering advice, being a partner in this swimming exercise. This is someone who does everything the swimmer does, tries new techniques, sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing, and then trying again.

This metaphor has even helped me grasp this more clearly. In my different business capacities I play all 3 roles, but I far much prefer being a trainer and a teacher. The joy of imparting knowledge to someone, and then seeing that person blossom in that knowledge – is priceless!

Photo credit: peasap