Skills.
You probably create 80% of your output from 20% of your input. And struggle to reach more, because we mostly live under the spell of the "80-20-Rule". It's about time to change that and learn how to surf the wave of creativity and solution-focus!
Mentoring, consulting and coaching each have their value; and they are not the same thing. Clarity with a client, and with ourselves, about what we offer and provide is critical to contracting for services and for maintaining standards in the industry:
Mentor was a friend of Odysseus, king of Ithaca in ancient Greece. Before leaving for the Trojan War, Odysseus asked his friend to watch over his son Telemachus. Mentor acted as a surrogate father, introduced Telemachus to the counsel of elders and helped him make an appeal for the ships he desired. As a respected member of the community, Mentor used his experience, his wisdom and his influence to directly assist Telemachus and to intervene on his behalf.
Consultant is derived from the Latin word consulere, meaning “take counsel.” It implies a provider of expertise and advice. While popular use of the term consultant has broadened, it still implies an individual or firm with a specific expertise or solution to a specific problem. The usual expectation from a company hiring a consultant is that the consultant will take accountability for the design and often implementation of a solution to a specific challenge.
Coach has a more complex history. While the roots include the familiar athletics coach or tutor, the fundamental source for the word is the Hungarian word kocsi. The word is derived from the name of a town Kocs where ornate specialized wagons were made. Kocsi had common usage as a tool or resource for making transition, journey or task easier. While it may be a stretch from 16th century Hungarian, it is not a bad guideline for coaching today.
- Barry Goldberg, ICF Vice Chair
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