Both types of coaching involve working with people to improve certain aspects of their work performance, but executive coaching services are intended to benefit the entire organization, while professional coaching is aimed at benefiting a person in terms of their personal professional career. A professional consultant is an expert who carries out a specific task in a company, usually in a “practical” way, and is responsible for offering an agreed result for the client. A consultant can be hired for a short-term (or long-term) project, while coaches and mentors usually have constant and ongoing commitments. Compared to executive coaching, executive counseling focuses less on specific business objectives and more on the approach, mentality and feelings that the client has regarding their professional career.
Executive coaching takes an in-depth look at why the client may succeed or have inefficiencies in the workplace to establish a healthier mindset. A mentor will be an experienced professional who will help less experienced professionals to develop their careers and skills based on their own knowledge and experience. An executive coach will also help you deal with difficult situations that you are likely to encounter in your position. In general, counselors are trained to diagnose and help clients with emotional problems, past problems, or some type of dysfunction, while coaches are not.
There are many benefits of organizations investing in executive coaching for their staff; by investing in a person, they will increase their trust and commitment to the organization. The role of the mentor is not to be practical or to teach certain skills, but rather to listen to and understand the career that is being addressed and, then, guiding the professional to make their own decisions and implement a plan, but only after a series of alternatives or “scenarios” have been explored, based on the mentor's experience. Here I share my opinion on what coaching is and explain the difference between a professional coach and an executive coach. Training executive talent has been shown to have a positive impact on the entire company, as well as on those who receive direct training, by sharing ways to achieve objectives and maintaining a positive mindset.
Unlike a therapist or counselor, a coach doesn't care ABOUT WHY you are where you are and HOW you got there, a coach focuses on the PATH TO FOLLOW. One of the main advantages of hiring a professional coach is that you'll spend time focusing on your career and what you really want. Several studies have shown that training executive talent can be very beneficial and will have a good impact on company leaders. Executive coaching and counseling are great ways to improve the professional and leadership skills of executives who play a leadership role and are in charge of decision-making.
We help executives and high-potential employees learn to play the demanding role that their jobs demand. But how can you tell the difference between them? And which one is right for you? To help you make the right decision, Jane Jackson, professional management consultant and author of the Amazon bestseller Navigating Career Crossroads, explains what each one does.
