What’s the difference between a consultant, a coach and a mentor?

A consultant is a professional adviser with relevant subject matter expertise and experience. In exchange for a fee, they will generally complete the required project for you within an agreed scope, timeframe and budget, and perhaps provide helpful advice along the way. The engagement may be one-off or ongoing.

Consultant says: "I'll do it for you"

A coach is someone with relevant skills and experience whose primary role is to encourage motivate, teach and train you to achieve your desired outcome while transferring as much of their skills and experience as possible as part of the process.

Coach says: "We will do this together"

A mentor is someone with deep subject matter expertise and extensive experience in a particular field. Their job is not to do the work for you, or even encourage or motivate you, but rather to challenge you and engage you in thought provoking, challenging and catalysing discussions to help you confront what needs to be confronted, arrive at your own conclusions, thereby empowering you to take the required action yourself.

Mentor says: "You do it, and I will pressure-test your thinking with challenging questions, share my experience and offer frameworks to steer you in the right direction, to get the right result."

Their job is neither to encourage nor deter you, but rather to challenge you, and your thinking to drive you to make better decisions, and take more precise and well-developed actions.

That does not mean that they would not, or should not steer you in the right direction, but rather they will influence the discussion to help you face what needs to be faced, even if that’s a brick wall. You may choose to walk over it, under it, through it, around it, or knock it down with a hammer, but you can’t ignore it - you have to deal with it.

They may challenge you with laser focussed questions that leave you reeling and your stomach churning. Or they may segue into a seemingly random war story, case study or anecdote. But behind each word there will be purpose and meaning.

Of course a ‘blended’ approach will likely achieve the best result and most consultants, coaches and mentors will incorporate some 'do it for you', some 'do it together' and 'pressure testing' as part of their process.

The names and labels attached to each activity are less important than obtaining clarity about the nature of the engagement. Are you engaging someone to do it for you, do it with you or simply steer you through the process to do it effectively by yourself?