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    The Progress Coaching Blog

    Why Pay For Both? How Coaches and Consultants Work in Tandem

    September 11, 2015 Posted by : Tim Hagen
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    Let’s just start with the negative views of both coaches and consultants. There’s a phrase an often heard about consultants along the lines of, “Give the consultant a watch and he’ll tell you the time.” Or, going back to coaching, how they are like consultants with less experience. When it comes right down to it, your business needs them both, and here’s why.

     
    1. Start Small to End Big: Coaches work with individuals to create a better work environment overall. Like grassroots work of political campaigns, coaches work with the base of the population in order to foster healthy growth.

    2. Weed Out the Bad Apples: While consultants look at the big picture in terms of how the business is working, coaches get down to the nitty gritty, for lack of a better phrase. For example, in a factory, while the production still may be functioning and producing items, one piece of machinery may be off it’s cog, creating a distorted final outcome. Or, in a basket of fruit, a rotten apple may make the rest seem undesirable. Same can be said for the work environment. Coaches infiltrate those systems and fix the cogs or cut out the bad pieces of the apple in order to make a product everyone wants and needs.

    3. Objectivity vs. Subjectivity: Consultants are paid to be the outside eye that maintains their objectivity. Their expertise is garnered from outside work experiences to look at the company they are contracted with to improve without being subjective (i.e. what is wrong with the company vs. problems that the industry faces). Coaches, in the same vein, are hired for similar reasons, but allow their critiques to be subjective to the people, company, etc. By using these two talents in conjunction, your company can have industry expertise combined with interpersonal expertise.

    4. Point A to Point B: Let’s face it, sometimes it’s hard to recognize your own weaknesses or even, for some people, your strengths. You may think your vocal talents are on par with Beyonce or Pavarotti, or that your co-worker’s intelligence is enough to put her in Mensa while you’re constantly looking things on Google. Coaches are there to be similar to your friend that calls you out on both of those fronts. Not only do they provide this courtesy, they give you concrete, tangible paths to get from where you are to where you want to be with plans catered to your specific needs. Consultants use quantitative measurements and metrics to analyze the results of your company to get you from point A to point B.

    5. Nobody’s Perfect: No company, big or small, is perfect. No employee, experienced or not, is perfect either. You may think you’re swimming laps at work, when you may just be treading water. Both consultants and coaches are used in times of dire need, to be lifeguards that throw in the life saving device when you jumped into the deep end. However, they are also there to give guidance when companies are doing well, to use their finesse and knowledge to fine tune your employees and business, to create an environment that far exceeds your current expectations.

     

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    Photo source: www.cliparthut.com

    Information:http://leadwithgiantscoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/screenshot_539.png, http://www.harvardbusinessreview.com

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    About Author

    Tim Hagen
    Tim Hagen

    Tim Hagen founded Progress Coaching, a Training Reinforcement Partner Company, in 1997. His entrepreneurial career began in college leading to positions in sales, sales management, and sales training for small and large corporations, and eventually ownership of several training companies. Tim is often a keynote speaker at companies teaching the value of coaching and conversations in the workplace. He possesses a unique combination of hands-on experience, academics, and innovative insight to solve the industry’s most common challenges specific to workplace performance. Tim holds a bachelor’s degree in Adult Education and Training from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

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