The rise in popularity of the coach – whether someone who helps clients get their life in order or ones who help people advance their professional careers – has raised some interesting questions for those who seek professional self-help expertise.
Chief among those questions, says Texas-based speaker and business advisor Ken Stibler, in hiring a business guru or guide for this kind of help is determining whether you really want a coach or a therapist.
Stibler, who is speaking to groups of TEC Canada CEOs and senior executives in Saskatoon and Regina this week, has a theory that explains the difference between the two this way — one looks back, the other looks forward.
Stibler says the therapist looks backward, trying to figure out what is wrong with a client and then attempt to fix it. By contrast, the coach is focused on the future – identifying the best or strongest characteristics their clients exhibit and then work on nurturing or embellishing them to facilitate higher or greater levels of achievement.
