Alongside my consulting expertise, I'm also a qualified executive coach—but perhaps not for the reasons you might expect. While I do offer coaching services when I believe I'm the right fit for the role, my primary motivation for obtaining this qualification was to enhance the complementary skills it brings to my consulting practice, allowing me to deliver even greater value to my clients.

The synergy between these disciplines runs deeper than many realise. Both coaching and consulting share fundamental requirements that are critical to achieving successful outcomes:


1.  Building Strong Relationships

Whether working with key stakeholders in consulting or establishing rapport with a coaching client, the foundation remains the same: trust, clear boundaries, and open, honest communication must be established from the outset. These elements are essential for success in either field


2.  Uncovering the True Objectives

Both areas require cutting through initial assumptions to identify what clients really need. In consulting, a seemingly straightforward brief like ‘reprocure our facilities and estate services’ often lacks clarity around scope and success metrics. Similarly, coaching clients frequently present symptoms rather than actual causes. This discovery process often leads clients to refine and improve their original goals leading to better outcomes


3.  Rapid and Accurate Information Gathering

Both coaching and consulting rely on knowledge - once you have this you can move forward more effectively whether it is because you better understand the person you are coaching or the organisation you are advising. This is because you are giving support and / or guidance based on fact rather than supposition which is more likely to be wrong!


4.  Working Within Defined Timeframes

Neither coaching nor consulting thrives with a ‘we'll get to it eventually’ mentality. Clear timelines and deliverables are essential, but so is building in flexibility. People change, organisations evolve, and external factors can create new realities that require flexible approaches


5.  Creating Meaningful Impact

The reward in both fields is knowing you've made a real difference. Whether helping an individual advance their career through guidance and support (remembering that coaches facilitate rather than provide solutions) or enhancing an organisation's effectiveness, profitability, ethics, or sustainability, the satisfaction benefits everyone involved.


The foundation of success in both coaching and consulting lies in truly understanding your client - whether individual or organization - and applying your knowledge thoughtfully rather than defaulting to generic, one-size-fits-all approaches.  This approach ensures meaningful outcomes for all parties.