What is the difference between a Coach, a Mentor, a Consultant, a Trainer and a Teacher/Instructor, more importantly, which one is right for you and your business?

So where do we start – As there are many people claiming to be credible at each of these disciplines, let’s identify some common themes and help you understand the differences.

All of the above in some way relate to the Latin term “Educatus” which means to bring out, draw out, nurture, educate or train.

Hence the common theme with all (except “Consultants”) is to increase learning, skills or knowledge.  Why have I “ring-fenced” Consultants – Consultants deal with projects with a start, middle and end and essentially do something for you better than you can or want to do it yourself. The issue with this is, even though the consultant is better than you at a specific task, in golf (for example) you can not get someone else to take your putts!!!!

The Four Phases of Learning

If we use the analogy of learning to drive a car and you think back to the first time you got behind the wheel, having watched your parents drive you around for years and naively thought this has got to be easy! You have entered the state of Unconscious Incompetency – or you don’t know what you don’t know.

Come the day of your first lesson with your Instructor/Teacher, you suddenly realise that driving is not as easy as you thought. You are hit with a sudden realisation that this may not sit in your comfort zone.

You have now entered Conscious Incompetency – i.e. your brain tells you that you haven’t got a clue how to make the car do what you want it to do.

With the basics in tow, and with further teaching & lessons, you go and practice and train your brain to incorporate the fundamentals of driving into your circle of competency as you prepare for your test.

By the time you are ready for your test you are now Consciously Competent – when you apply your mind to think, “mirror, signal, manoeuvre” you can complete the task.

You pass your test and start driving … before you know it you are Unconsciously Competent – you are no longer thinking about how to drive, you just do it!

So if you just want to learn the basics, then a teacher/trainer/instructor is going to serve you well enough.

Now let’s say you want to get into motor racing, this is where your Mentor comes in. A Mentor will share their experiences with you based on their experience. This gives you the chance to identify opportunity, avoid pitfalls and learn from others.

So, if you are franchising your business, having a mentor who has successfully franchised their business would be a great starting point.

Finally, what is a Business Coach and which should you use?

Coaching covers all the above, sometimes we teach when you have a gap in your skills, sometimes we guide you based on our experience – both are forms of “Directive Coaching”.

Other times we act as a sounding board for your ideas; we ask you lots of questions to draw out the right answers; allow you to identify all the information you need to make better choices; support your decision, challenge your beliefs and ultimately help you acquire greater knowledge of the skills you need to guarantee your success/increased performance – i.e. “Non-directive Coaching”.

A coach is an entire cookbook that encapsulates many different recipes, that combine ingredients to produce different dishes. The great thing with a coach is you get to pick what you want and your coach helps you achieve it in the easiest, most efficient and enjoyable way!

There are lots of “Coaches” to choose from.  If you have a headache, you would normally be happy seeing a GP, If you need Brain Surgery, you would only deal with a Specialist!

If you want your life to be a bit better get a coach, if you want your business to be the best it can be, get a Business Coach!!

The WHOLE POINT of business coaching is not ‘just’ to coach you but to help you achieve an improved business performance – Yorkshire Powerhouse strongly recommends investing in a skilled business coach who can support and develop your performance to allow your business to grow.

Yorkshire Powerhouse – thinking about business coaching