The Difference Between Career, Business, and Executive Coaching

In my last post I outlined various types of coaching. I’m now going to explain the key points of difference between career, business, and executive coaching.

Brighter Thinking Team

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The Difference Between Career, Business, and Executive Coaching

In my last post I outlined various types of coaching. I’m now going to explain the key points of difference between career, business, and executive coaching.

Brighter Thinking Team

Often people are confused by these terms and either believe they all ‘do’ the same thing or are aimed at the same people. But although there is sometimes some overlap in the subjects discussed during career coaching, business coaching, or executive coaching sessions, the objective of each is quite different.

This also means different skills and experience are needed for each one, with dedicated professional coaches generally specialising in just one of these three areas.

At Brighter Thinking, I specialise in executive coaching, creating bespoke programmes for business leaders and senior decision-makers, and this often includes helping them to achieve clarity on the next step of their career – and take action! All three coaching types have their benefits.

I’ll start by looking at career coaching…

Often people are confused by these terms and either believe they all ‘do’ the same thing or are aimed at the same people. But although there is sometimes some overlap in the subjects discussed during career coaching, business coaching, or executive coaching sessions, the objective of each is quite different.

This also means different skills and experience are needed for each one, with dedicated professional coaches generally specialising in just one of these three areas.

At Brighter Thinking, I specialise in executive coaching, creating bespoke programmes for business leaders and senior decision-makers, and this often includes helping them to achieve clarity on the next step of their career – and take action! All three coaching types have their benefits.

I’ll start by looking at career coaching…

Career Coaching

As the name implies, this type of coaching is for individuals who want to progress or change their careers.

It’s for anyone at any stage of their professional life, from someone just starting out in the world of work to someone who has worked for many years in the same industry and now wants to try something completely new.

Unlike executive coaching or business coaching, the objective is to help the client land the dream job they aspire to or transition to their new career, whatever that may be.

Increasingly people are deciding to ditch what they have done for years (often decades) in favour of a new occupation that aligns much more with their personal passions and interests, even if this means an initial drop in salary.

And others are choosing to have a ‘portfolio career’ that combines different types of working patterns and styles – from part-time to freelancing to consulting and even voluntary work – all based around their key skills and talents.

Whatever the reason, career coaching clients often feel dissatisfied with their current position and situation and know they want to achieve more, but don’t know specifically what that is. Or they know exactly what their dream career would be but are confused or unaware of how to get there.

A career coach collaborates with the client to clarify their professional goals and ambitions, and then develops a strategy to help achieve them.

This can include very practical activities such as working on the client’s CV or resume to highlight their skills and experience most relevant to their new position or career. It can also include helping them develop transferrable skills or gain qualifications or certifications that will help them land interviews with the companies they want to work for.

It can even involve role-playing with clients how to communicate and negotiate with potential employers during a recruitment process. Doing this using Virtual Reality is going to prove an exciting addition to this activity for coachees in the future.

And for those that want to do away with the ‘nine to five’ completely, a career coach can provide them with a pathway to transition to their new working style and role.

Business Coaching

Business coaching is very different and rather than being focused on an individual, is squarely focused on the success of an organisation.

Typically, business coaches act more like consultants, providing advice and guidance to help the business leaders and senior decision-makers grow their company and increase its sales and value.

As former experienced business leaders themselves, they offer proven strategies and ideas, and can function as a mentor to members of the executive team if required.

Their approach is focused on changing the way things are done so that the performance of the business improves substantially.

Often the changes suggested are fundamental to an organisation’s success and have far-reaching impacts. For example, a business coach may recommend that different suppliers are used, or the composition and number of staff is changed, or the activities that a company does are streamlined or amended.

For the business coach, success means seeing the client business succeed rather than developing the people within it, although this can and does sometimes happen.

However, the most effective business coaches are not afraid to make bold decisions and recommendations, such as suggesting the leadership team is changed (or even fully replaced) or advising the CEO to focus on different markets to the ones the company has worked in for years.

Business Coaching

Business coaching is very different and rather than being focused on an individual, is squarely focused on the success of an organisation.

Typically, business coaches act more like consultants, providing advice and guidance to help the business leaders and senior decision-makers grow their company and increase its sales and value.

As former experienced business leaders themselves, they offer proven strategies and ideas, and can function as a mentor to members of the executive team if required.

Their approach is focused on changing the way things are done so that the performance of the business improves substantially.

Often the changes suggested are fundamental to an organisation’s success and have far-reaching impacts. For example, a business coach may recommend that different suppliers are used, or the composition and number of staff is changed, or the activities that a company does are streamlined or amended.

For the business coach, success means seeing the client business succeed rather than developing the people within it, although this can and does sometimes happen.

However, the most effective business coaches are not afraid to make bold decisions and recommendations, such as suggesting the leadership team is changed (or even fully replaced) or advising the CEO to focus on different markets to the ones the company has worked in for years.

Executive Coaching

Unlike career coaching and business coaching, executive coaching is for individual business leaders and decision-makers who want to develop themselves.

Often individuals in these roles feel they are not maximising their potential, or are struggling with their responsibilities or decisions, or don’t know how to move forward and become more effective.

The executive coach becomes their trusted sounding board and works with them on a confidential basis to help them see things differently and gain the clarity they need.

This often involves working on the client’s mindset and perceptions and identifying and resolving limiting beliefs that may be holding them back.

These beliefs can include believing they are not capable of achieving a task or that they are an ‘imposter’ (known as ‘imposter syndrome’) or that they haven’t achieved much in their career.

The experienced executive coach will use different strategies and mindset tools to help their clients change their self-perceptions and restore (or instil) a sense of self-confidence in their abilities and talents.

This enables them to perform far better in their role, achieve a healthy work-life balance, and understand – often for the first time – what really matters to them both professionally and personally.

Some executive coaches like me have ‘real world’ business experience and are experts in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), with a deep understanding of neuroscience and how the brain really works (I was the first person in the world to be awarded the Postgraduate Diploma in the Neuroscience of Leadership and am a Professional Certified Coach accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), as well as having other professional credentials).

This enables me to call upon and use tactics that have a lasting long-term impact, such as modelling and embedding the behaviours of highly successful people in my clients.

Career coaching and business coaching don’t need this level of understanding of how the brain works and how individuals think as they are more focused on specific outcomes (such as securing a new job or increasing the value of a company), rather than changing and developing a client’s thought patterns and outlook.

Some executive coaches like me have ‘real world’ business experience and are experts in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), with a deep understanding of neuroscience and how the brain really works (I was the first person in the world to be awarded the Postgraduate Diploma in the Neuroscience of Leadership and am a Professional Certified Coach accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), as well as having other professional credentials).

This enables me to call upon and use tactics that have a lasting long-term impact, such as modelling and embedding the behaviours of highly successful people in my clients.

Career coaching and business coaching don’t need this level of understanding of how the brain works and how individuals think as they are more focused on specific outcomes (such as securing a new job or increasing the value of a company), rather than changing and developing a client’s thought patterns and outlook.

Executive Coaching

Unlike career coaching and business coaching, executive coaching is for individual business leaders and decision-makers who want to develop themselves.