The 4 dimensions of advisory work
When to coach, when to consult, when to mentor, and when to manage
Over my career, I’ve often left meetings flummoxed as to why my help wasn’t landing. “I can help the client optimize their funnel. Why aren’t they listening?” “I told this report exactly what they needed to do to solve their problem, but why did they seem annoyed?” I’ve now come to realize there are [different ways to advise people](https://www.statetransition.co/p/consulting-models-and-failure-modesat), and it’s crucial to know which skill to apply when.
There are four kinds of work you can do in an advisory role: coaching, consulting, mentoring, and managing. These terms seem interchangeable, but they’re not. They’re distinct skillsets that serve different purposes. Apply the wrong skill to the wrong problem, and you could get disastrous results.
The 4 types of advisory work
Coaching
Coaching is people-oriented. The primary goal of coaching is to help people grow and achieve their goals. To coach effectively, you need to listen actively and ask good questions. A good coach will get you to give an answer to a question that surprises even yourself.
Consulting
Consulting is solutions-oriented. The goal is to deliver information, expertise, and strategy. When consulting, you need to identify root causes and be able to give advice in a way people will hear. After a good consultation, you’ll feel you have a strategy and know exactly why you’re implementing it.
Managing
Managing is project-oriented. The goal is to close loops, move needles, and track performance. The most valuable management traits are the willingness to have uncomfortable conversations, make decisions, and take ownership. A good manager sets a high-quality bar, holds you to it, and brings out your best performance.
Mentoring
Mentoring is expertise-oriented. The goal is to share specific examples and lessons that help someone build knowledge and expertise. The most valuable mentoring skills are contextualizing expertise and showing, not telling. Your Miyagis, your Yodas, your Professors Xavier.
What happens when you apply the wrong skill
Know your role and shut your mouth
When I was a freelance web developer, I wanted to position myself as a ‘strategic partner’ for two reasons: the work was more interesting, and I could charge a higher hourly rate. I rubbed some clients the wrong way when I tried to contribute to the overall vision.
Once at a local bar, I ordered a whiskey bramble. “Are you sure?“ the server replied, “It’s a fruity and sugary drink.” I felt judged. I knew what I was doing; I was not looking for a more “masculine” order. If I want to put blackberry liqueur and lemon juice in my booze until it tastes like Dimetapp, that’s my business and mine alone. I understood how some of my clients must have felt.
You can’t coach those who don’t want to change, or consult those who don’t want advice. At best, you waste your time. At worst, you damage relationships. Unsolicited coaching or consulting is the professional equivalent of mansplaining.
When to help people, and when to let them struggle
When mentoring, your goal is to give answers. When coaching, your goal is to ask questions and help the coachee discover answers within themselves. The challenge is knowing when to help and when to step back and let people figure it out. It’s tempting to jump in and offer solutions when you see someone struggling. Growth requires discomfort; there is value in wrestling with a thorny challenge.
A heuristic: frustration is ok, confusion is not. People can grind on hard problems, but when they have zero idea what to try next, nudge them in the right direction.
Using the model
How would you rate yourself on each of these, on a scale of 1 to 10? If you broke your week down into a pie chart of the four types, what would it look like? When you think through the four models, you can pinpoint where to focus when skilling up.
“Are they asking for expertise, or do they just want a pair of hands?” “Does this person need help, or do I need to set expectations and hold them to it?” The four models help you pick the right tool for the job. This is why I think it’s important to draw these distinctions. If you can recognize when to apply each skill, you can be a more effective leader.