…and why it can be sometimes good to get both!
When think about which kind of support we require in a given context, the following and very good question tends to arise:
Do I need a coach or do I need consulting?
The terms „coaching“ and „consulting“ can be hard to differentiate and therefore it’s worth taking a closer look: Coaching and consulting are fundamentally different, but they can also complement each other.
Coaching: The solution lies within you
Coaching is about broadening your perspective, gaining clarity, and consciously shaping your next step(s).
In my role as a coach, I will guide you through this process. I will ask questions and help you reflect, but I will not give advice. Instead, I will support you in finding your own answers, because you and only you are the expert on your live, the different roles you have in your life, and your challenges.
Therefore, coaching makes most sense if…
- You wish to define your goals and values
- You are looking for clarity
- You like to reflect on your patterns and and behaviors
- You need to navigate a new or complex situation
Consulting: The expertise comes from outside
A consultant will offer their expertise, for example in project management, strategic issues, or during change processes.
In my role as a consultant, I analyze and give recommendations and/or accompany their implementation. Consulting is particularly helpful when an external perspective and expert input are required.
Consulting therefore makes most sense when…
- You have a clear goal, but you don’t know how to get there
- You require structural or strategic support
- You want to use different tools and try new approaches
- You want to incorporate external experience
What I do
Over the past >10 years, I have completed in-depth training and further education in both coaching and consulting.
In my coaching training, I learned about systemic and solution-oriented methods with a strong focus on opening spaces for individual development.
As a consultant, I offer my in-depth application knowledge from both classic and agile project management within and beyond the pharmaceutical industry.
In both coaching and consulting, I continuously pursue further training to stay up to date with the latest methods and techniques – for leadership, communication, change management, or agility in business.
I work with different methodological approaches depending on goals and context. Here are two examples:
- I use LEGO® Serious Play® to make complex topics tangible, reveal new perspectives, and improve communication.
- I use Liberating Structures, to get people involved in the process, break down thought patterns, and develop creative solutions.
In addition, I use various tools for coaching, training, and consulting, including selected items from TOOLwerkstatt.
However, what is particularly important to me is that the methods are not an end in themselves. I select them specifically and appropriately for the situation, always with a view to what will help my counterpart move forward.
This means:
I can offer both coaching and consulting services
In my work, I can use both depending on the situation:
Sometimes I am your neutral sparring partner, opening up space for your development and filling it together with you.
Sometimes I provide professional input or models when they are helpful.
It is also important to me to communicate clearly what role I am currently playing. This keeps the process transparent and allows you to decide for yourself what you need at any given moment.
You don’t have to decide
In practice, the boundaries may get blurry some times, and that’s perfectly fine! The more important question is:
What do you need support with right now – and how can I help?
If you would like to learn more about what my offer could look like for you or your team, let’s have a chat:
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Coaching oder Beratung – was passt besser zu mir?
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