Coaching for the Everyday Leader:

What Are the Different Types of Coaches?

Much of the confusion around coaching can be traced back to the many names it goes by. To help you decipher the industry lingo, here are some of the most common types of coaching, so the next time you see the title, you have a better idea of what it is they actually offer.

Executive/Leadership Coach

After studying different definitions of executive and leadership coaching, it became clear that the purpose of both of these types of coaches is to “provide a safe, structured, and trustworthy environment in which support is offered” and one’s leadership capacity is expanded. Though the main difference between a leadership coach and an executive coach is the level of seniority a coach targets for their services.

One-on-One Coach

It may feel like coaching is exclusive to those in executive and leadership positions. In fact, there are coaches who work at any level in the organization regardless of title. This means high-performing individual contributors, high-potentials, and new managers or supervisors can reap one on one coaching benefits by working with someone who acts as their sounding board, requires accountability, helps them define goals, and creates an action plan to make those goals a reality.

Performance Coach

The work of a performance coach significantly overlaps with the work of a one on one coach. One performance coach who worked with Google explains that he helps clients through career changes, workplace relationships problems, balancing work and life, and building self-confidence. So, while much of what a performance coach does will seem very similar to a one on one coach, their main focus will be on your job performance and how to improve it.

Group Coach

A peer group coach provides coaching to a group of individuals who may or may not work together, but who have a common goal. In other words, peer coaching groups “leverages the resources and knowledge of a group of individuals working on a common theme but who have different individual performance goals.” For example, a leadership peer group may seek out group coaching on the topic of people management, to help those who oversee employees become stronger and more effective leaders, instead of focusing on one individual development area.

Team Coach

The term “team coach” and “group coach” are often used interchangeably, although they really shouldn’t be. The ICF defines team coaching as a “systemic approach designed to support a team to maximize its collective talents and resources to accomplish and exceed the goals required by the organization.” Therefore, team coaching is different from group coaching as it is used for coaching intact teams with a common goal or project.

Peer Coach

Unlike any other type of coach, a peer coach doesn’t need to have any previous coaching experience. This is because peer coaching happens between two individuals of an equal or similar status, who may or may not work in the same department, company, or even industry. All that matters in this type of coaching relationship is that each party is mutually willing to help and support one another either on an ongoing basis or to achieve a specific goal.

Organizational Coach

An organizational coach does much different work than any of the other types of coaches listed above as they work with senior leaders and executives to align leadership behavior with strategic initiatives and organizational goals. The Institute of Coaching, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, explains, “organizational coaching aims at fostering positive, systemic transformation within organizations. It is frequently used to help organizations achieve strategic objectives, enhance leadership capability, and create culture change. Broader organizational needs are placed front and center, and the coaching is used to scale-up change across the enterprise.”

Business Coach

Unfortunately, the term “business coach” is used far and wide, making it one of the more confusing terms to decipher. Though by definition, a business coach is “a professional mentor that guides a client through the ups and downs of owning and running a business. Business coaches provide business owners with recommendations for growth and determining their company's goals.”

Life Coach

This is another term that falls into the trap of being used far and wide by professionals referring to an expansive range of services. That’s because a life coach is defined as, “someone professionally trained to help you maximize your full potential and reach your desired results.” Given that this definition could apply to any of the types of coaches on this list, if you seek out a life coach, you will want to be sure to carefully do your research and ensure their experience aligns with your specific needs or goals.

Coaching vs. Mentoring vs. Training: How Are They Different?

Coaching, mentoring, and training all exist for the same purpose; personal development to help you grow your ability to contribute more to your organization and reach your full potential. Therefore these terms are often used interchangeably but coaching, mentoring, and training are unique.

Coaching vs. Mentoring

Let’s start with the similarities. Coaching and mentoring are one on one relationships with someone who advises and supports you in your career. In both scenarios, these relationships are designed to help you grow and develop.

Now, what are the differences between coaching and mentoring?

Coaching is a formal relationship with an accredited individual whose career is professional coaching. They’re trained to ask thought-provoking questions that help the coachee see themselves clearly to make decisions, changes, and develop a roadmap for goal attainment by breaking down your end goal into smaller achievements. They identify specific development areas and work with you to obtain the skills you need to succeed in those areas.

The relationship with a one on one coach is typically shorter than a mentor, ranging from three months to a year. The goal is performance-driven and the arrangement is formal, meaning there are structured coaching sessions throughout the engagement.

Whereas mentoring in the workplace is typically an informal relationship with someone who has “been there.” Mentors are usually someone who holds or has held a senior role that draws upon their own experience to offer advice, insight, and guidance. They instill the lessons they’ve learned while moving up the corporate ladder and identify pitfalls to avoid. These relationships are typically less formal and can last for a number of years.

Coaching vs. Training

Training and coaching are similar in that they develop or amplify skills so you can contribute more in your role at work. Though training is different as it typically takes place in a group setting, either with individuals from your own organization or in an open enrollment setting, with professionals from a variety of organizations. Training content is predetermined by the course curriculum, whereas in the case of coaching, the desired development and outcomes are co-created between you and the coach during your first few meetings.

What Makes A Good Coach and What To Look For?

A Solid Track-Record

Practically speaking, a good coach is someone with a track-record of helping clients attain their goals and who is willing to attest to their experience. Whether this information is public or by request, what this tells you is that your coach is someone that can be trusted to help you achieve your defined goals and maximize your investment in their coaching services. 

Real-World Experience

A good coach is someone who has real-world experience, either personally or in working with clients, in the area you are seeking to develop. This is an important quality of a one on one coach as their experience informs their understanding of where you are, how you got there, and the ways you can get where you want to go. For example, if your goal is to become a more self-aware and mindful leader, you wouldn’t hire a coach who has never held a leadership position or worked with a number of other leaders.

Transparency

Anyone you plan to hire in business should be reliable, honest, and transparent, though this is especially true for professional coaches. These professionals are closely tied to your goals and their achievement. So, not only do they need to be transparent during the coaching sessions but also during the selection and purchase process. From the beginning, a good coach will put your success first, even if that means that you aren’t the ideal match in terms of goals, experience, budget, and so forth.

A Tried-and-True Process

Anyone you plan to hire in business should be reliable, honest, and transparent, though this is especially true for professional coaches. These professionals are closely tied to your goals and their achievement. So, not only do they need to be transparent during the coaching sessions but also during the selection and purchase process. From the beginning, a good coach will put your success first, even if that means that you aren’t the ideal match in terms of goals, experience, budget, and so forth.

Accessible

A good professional coach is one who is accessible and available to meet with you on your terms and your schedule. You should never feel like the support and direction you require is only accessible based on somebody else's schedule.

Passion

A one on one coach who is passionate about what they do and helping others achieve their goals, benefits everyone, but especially those who are starting coaching sessions with feelings of stress, burnout, or skepticism. That’s because a coach's passion for your goals and success can flame your own, leading you to feel more engaged, prepared, and motivated than before.

Next Steps

Now that you know what coaching is, the different types of coaching, the benefits, and what makes a good coach, you might feel prepared to begin your search. But before making any Google searches, think through the following: 

What is your ultimate goal? What do you hope to get out of coaching? Defining this will determine the type of coach you hire.

What do you think makes a good coach? Now that you know what we think makes a good coach which is based on 30 years working with coaches and coachees, you need to define what is most important to you so you know what you can and cannot compromise on.

Once you have answers to these questions you can confidently begin seeking out leadership coaching services. You’ll find plenty of options to fit your career, goals, and lifestyle. For example, online coaching, 3-month coaching packages, and even customized coaching solutions are just some ways coaches offer their services. Though regardless of what you choose, a great coaching provider who is invested in seeing you succeed, like we are here at the Niagara Institute, will analyze your needs, offer solutions, and even customize the offered services to meet your goals, budget, and timeline exactly.