Coaches are there to guide you, pointing you in the right direction towards success and supporting you through any bumps along the way. With their advice, you’ll learn how to avoid common mistakes completely; dependent on the coach you choose, this could be within your business, life, sports or study. It’s a valuable tool that many people have been utilising for years, allowing these willing individuals to achieve their goals efficiently and effectively.

However, for many, it can be difficult to understand what your requirements fall under and what sort of coaching you truly need – specifically for those caught between choosing a business and life coach, which is right for you? Today, we’ll be discussing the differences between the two so that you can make a fully informed choice, ultimately ensuring you make the correct decision.

What is a business coach?

A business coach works with you on a professional level, they’re geared towards practical action to provide your organisation with the right results – generally, successful growth be it an increase in leads generation, brand recognition or sales figures. Writing down your goals could help you to identify what your priorities are; if to accomplish these you need any of the below it’s like business coaching is for you:

  • Introducing new systems and processes to help scale up your organisation
  • Implementing effective time management
  • Strategising your sales
  • Assisting with new marketing campaigns
  • Creating a more successful flow of work
  • Providing you with new management techniques to improve your business’s structure

What is a life coach?

Unlike a business coach, a life coach will focus on your daily affairs. You’ll be able to implement methods to improve your overall wellbeing with them, and rather than looking at the bigger picture of a company, their full concentration will be on your own personal goals – be it losing weight, changing your mindset or setting out on a new career path. A life coach could be right for you if you are looking to:

  • Find your purpose, or your ‘why’
  • Motivate yourself daily and live a more fulfilling life
  • Discover your true personal value
  • Deal with difficult relationship issues
  • Need to set boundaries within your life

The key differences between a business and life coach

People tend to confuse the two but they are vastly different, the main difference being that one will work with you professionally and the other personally. A business and life coach will both work with you to reach a goal, but a life coach will help you find balance in your and successfully improve your overall wellbeing. Whereas, on the other hand, a business coach acts more like an advisor and will use proven techniques to formulate a strategy, unlocking your businesses full potential. Whilst this may seem like the only difference, under the surface, there are more still.

The reporting structure is yet another different element. Life coaching will be between just the coach and client, you’ll discuss how you can achieve certain goals and remain motivated – you’ll be held accountable and usually have a personal plan to measure your progress. We already know a business coach focuses their efforts on professionals aspects of your company; there may be multiple stakeholders involved in monthly catch-ups, and you’ll evaluate how specific strategies have had an impact. The actions taken by a business coach are generally measurable improvements, as they’ll be implementing new methods such as training rather than just motivating an individual.

Furthermore, each coach will have different traits – whilst both require patience, empathy, strong communication, organisational and leadership skills along with the ability to problem-solve, a business coach must have strong business acumen. They’ll have a basic understanding of all areas, from marketing and sales to finance and operation which will allow them to evaluate your business as a whole, identifying areas for improvement. It’s vital they have experience within a variety of businesses to ensure they have the expertise and wisdom to provide you with the right advice.

However, there may also be some crossover between a business and life coach. Often business coaches will struggle as there is some emotional struggle preventing an organisational leader from taking the next steps to develop their company. They may be unwilling to fire a family member, don’t want to risk receiving a ‘no’ from a potential client or can’t motivate themselves to wake before 8 am; there is an emotional boundary. Many business owners seem to now desire a quasi-life coach, however; it’s important you separate the two to ensure you avoid putting your business coach in a difficult situation. Sometimes, it can be more beneficial to have two coaches – a smarter investment for your organisation, and yourself.

A Business and life Coach helping a client

Why is it so important you choose the right coach for you?

So, why is it so important you choose the right coach? It’s clear to see the differences between the two coaches, but making the right decision will ensure you work with someone that will truly help you reach your goals, ultimately saving you money.

Utilising the knowledge and expertise of the right coach can see you make vast improvements, whether it be personally or professionally. If you can spend a short amount of time drafting up your main priorities, you can develop an understanding of what you really want in life. Formulating a plan with someone that knows the route to success can both keep you accountable and see you achieve these targets.

Of course, these may change and adapt over time – perhaps you begin with a life coach to transform your daily habits, decide to launch a new business venture and then need a business coach instead. It’s therefore vital that you don’t enter into a long-term binding contract, make sure you read and fully understand the contract you are entering into. Furthermore, try to meet and form a connection with your coach – you may be working with this individual for the foreseeable future so you’ll want to feel comfortable and confident in their abilities. To form a full picture, find verified reviews online or speak to some of their previous clients.

The quick-fire benefits of a coach:

  • Increase your levels of productivity
  • Develop your skillset, targeting areas of weakness to improve overall
  • Motivate yourself to achieve
  • Feel accountable as you create an achievable plan, with specific schedules in place to ensure you keep to deadlines
  • Measure your progress successfully
  • Learn how to manage your time more effectively, prevent burnout or feeling overwhelmed

The bottom line

A business and life coach can be an invaluable tool. But, it’s essential you choose the right one to ensure you get the very most out of your sessions together. Making a poor decision could see you wasting both time and money, so fully understanding who your working with and the services they provide is key.

Remember that a life coach focuses on you personally – your goals, what you want to gain from life and your overall wellbeing. Whereas, a business coach takes action to grow and develop your business, formulating a strategy using proven successful methods. There may appear to be some crossover between the characteristics of each coach, but they are vastly different and should therefore be treated as separate considerations. It may be you feel you require both, and that’s a great judgement to have made!

If you are still struggling, ensure you write out your priorities and evaluate what these seem to fall under – are you a business owner looking to grow leads by 20%? Or, are you a stressed business owner needing more balance in your life, and motivation to find your purpose once again? The two are very different, and by analysing your desires, you’ll be able to make the correct decision and confidently work with the right person for you.

Want to find out how to select the right business coach, check out this blog for more information.

Perhaps you are ready to take the next steps and meet a business coach that you can trust to provide results? If you are looking to unlock the true potential of your organisation, speak to the experts with the know-how. The team at Chrysalis Partners are dedicated to you, and each of our coaches has worked within a variety of businesses in the last 30 years. They have the knowledge and experience, with a proven track record of success to implement effective methods. Get in contact with us now at graham@grahamgarman.com or complete this contact form and we’ll be happy to discuss how we can help you today.