Lot of managers get confused about the terms coaching and counseling. Are they the same thing or, as a manager, do I need to do them both?

Well, it is not surprising that people get confused by these terms, because they are often used interchangeably. However, coaching and counseling are two, very different tools that managers use. Let’s see if these can made less confusing by understanding very basic constituents of it :

Coaching is used to increase performance, when the employee is already performing the job well and needs encouragement to reach greater heights. The employee has excellent skills in some areas but needs support to achieve goals in other areas of the job. An example is an employee who has excelled at meeting client acquisition targets, however needs to work on client retention.

Counseling is used to improve performance, when the manager has identified a problem with the employee’s current performance that, if uncorrected, may derail his or her ability to succeed or even to stay with the organization. An example is an employee who lacks assertive communication skills.

A successful manager is both a coach and a counselor and knows what each employee needs at a particular time. This takes some practice, but it can be done.

To be a good coach or counselor, managers have to be good listeners and be genuinely interested in retaining the best talent. Good managers set clear expectations and provide frequent feedback on where employees need to improve and encourage employees to learn and grow.

Let’s say you have an employee who you think has the potential to take on new responsibilities. He always brings new ideas to the team and makes great suggestions for improving processes and tasks. This employee needs a manager to coach him—to help him develop the skills he needs to take a big step forward in his career. Coaching focuses on future possibilities and utilizes learning from past experiences. Coaching is more about how things are done, rather than what things are done. It is about unlocking people’s potential and maximizing their performance. It is about helping people to discover answers for themselves rather than advising. Coaching is one person guiding another or others through a process, leading to performance enhancement.

On the other hand, you have an employee who isn’t meeting the goals you set together in her last performance review. You’ve pointed out where he’s not meeting expectations, provided the tools he needed, and helped where you can, but you’re not seeing improvement. This employee needs you to counsel him—maybe probe more to dwell in the real reason of the concern. What we typically see from outside is just the tip of the iceberg and the real reason lies beneath.

Understanding the differences between coaching and counseling is crucial to successful manager-employee relationships. Working on your coaching and counseling skills will help you be a better manager and develop a more productive and engaged staff.