Barnabas File

In some recent coach training events, the participants have pushed me on the difference between coaching and consulting. Are the lines of demarcation as hard as I seem to make them?     In Disciple Development Coaching , Mark Tidsworth and I define the foci of these two people development practices in this way: Consulting deals with “problem solving, action plans, specific problems.” Coaching is “developing people through learning by doing, partnering between self-discovery and sustainable action.” Consultants are generally seen as persons with expertise in a particular area of content whereas coaches are process experts who work in many different contexts.  A coach does not have to know about education to coach an educator or be an expert in the law to coach a lawyer. Coaches are hired to promote clarity rather than inform their clients.  Consultants are generally seen as resource people and teachers. Even with these definitions, I cont...

Do you feel stuck?   You know what I mean.     You are overcome with responsibilities and find yourself in a type of paralysis.     Or perhaps you just have too much on your plate--a lot of good choices but no clear priorities.    Or maybe there is something that keeps you up at night and requires resolution. If you want to be proactive and get out of this situation, there are a number of options available to you. The International Coach Federation (ICF) has posted a decision chart that might be helpful in making a choice. The options are not limited to coaching. There are several paths you might take. Psychotherapy.   Therapy or counseling helps a person to deal with unresolved issues from the past or present such as grief, anger, or loss.  The therapist or counselor helps the client define the issues and develop coping strategies to deal with emotions and relationships in more productive ways. Mentor...

In teaching coaching classes, we point out the differences between the various “people development processes” --counseling, consulting, teaching, mentoring, coaching, and spiritual direction.     The differences are generally defined along two axes--self as expert versus other as expert and asking versus telling. For example, in most cases, the consultant is usually the content expert who shares his or her expertise, so consulting is in the “other as expert”/”telling” corner.  Coaches on the other hand lead the process with the client as the expert and the coach asking questions; therefore, coaching is in the “self as expert”/”asking” corner. In reality, the lines are often blurred.  Over the course of time, a mentoring relationship can take on more of the characteristics of coaching as the client or protégé accepts more responsibility for his or her actions.  In newer forms of education, teachers may become more guides or facilitators ...

Several years ago, Intuit published its 2020 Report .  One of the key observations was, “By 2020, 40% of American workers will be independent contractors.”  A significant part of the population will be contingent workers who will piece together various paid opportunities in order to make a living.  Since 2020 is almost here, we should be asking the question, “What does this mean for the church?” From the perspective of how the church operates, this means we will see more of the following: First, outsourcing of non-ministerial services such as accounting, marketing, and cleaning to independent contractors.  This relieves the church of providing benefits and assures that someone with specialized knowledge or ability will meet a need that is important but does not need to be done by a paid staff member. Second, increased use of outside consultants, which is another type of outsourcing.  We already do this with capital campa...

In teaching coaching classes, we point out the differences between the various “people development processes” --counseling, consulting, teaching, mentoring, coaching, and spiritual direction.     The differences are generally defined along two axes--self as expert versus other as expert and asking versus telling. For example, in most cases, the consultant is usually the content expert who shares his or her expertise, so consulting is in the “other as expert”/”telling” corner. Coaches on the other hand lead the process with the client as the expert and the coach asking questions; therefore, coaching is in the “self as expert”/”asking” corner. In reality, the lines are often blurred.  Over the course of time, a mentoring relationship can take on more of the characteristics of coaching as the client or protégé accepts more responsibility for his or her actions. In newer forms of education, teachers may become more guides or facilitators that disp...

Although the statement, “First, do no harm,” is not actually part of the Hippocratic Oath for physicians, it was coined by the Greek philosopher Hippocrates to  remind medical practitioners that, although they wish to heal their patients, they have an equal capacity to do harm.  I think this directive also applies to church consultants.  I have been known to share the statement, “There is no problem that a consultant can’t make worse,” but in my practice as a consultant, I certainly try to avoid this. Churches call upon consultants for a number of services:  staff development, visioning, transitions, conflict resolution, fund raising, security audits, building planning, and many other things.  At Pinnacle Leadership Associates , we deal primarily with the first four.  What has been your experience with church consultants? If you are planning to contract with a consultant, let me suggest several things for you to consider....

In some recent coach training events, the participants have pushed me on the difference between coaching and consulting. Are the lines of demarcation as hard as I seem to make them?  In Disciple Development Coaching , Mark Tidsworth and I define the foci of these two people development practices in this way: Consulting deals with “problem solving, action plans, specific problems.” Coaching is “developing people through learning by doing, partnering between self-discovery and sustainable action.” Consultants are generally seen as persons with expertise in a particular area of content whereas coaches are process experts who work in many different contexts.  A coach does not have to know about education to coach an educator or be an expert in the law to coach a lawyer. Coaches are hired to promote clarity rather than inform their clients.  Consultants are generally seen as resource people and teachers. Even with these definitions, I continue ...

In some recent coach training events, the participants have pushed me on the difference between coaching and consulting. Are the lines of demarcation as hard as I seem to make them?   In Disciple Development Coaching , Mark Tidsworth and I define the foci of these two people development practices in this way: Consulting deals with “problem solving, action plans, specific problems.” Coaching is “developing people through learning by doing, partnering between self-discovery and sustainable action.” Consultants are generally seen as persons with expertise in a particular area of content whereas coaches are process experts who work in many different contexts.  A coach does not have to know about education to coach an educator or be an expert in the law to coach a lawyer. Coaches are hired to promote clarity rather than inform their clients.  Consultants are generally seen as resource people and teachers. Even with these definitions, I ...