November 23, 2024 · 5 min read
When you need a coach, and when you need a strategist
The wrong hire is not a bad person. It is a mismatch of tool to problem. Learn to tell which one you are.
You need a coach when the problem is feeling — when you are overwhelmed, unclear, grieving, or in the middle of a transition that you have to metabolize before you can move.
You need a strategist when the problem is structure — when you know what you feel, you know what you want, and you cannot see the sequence of decisions that gets you from here to there.
The mismatch is costly. A great coach on a strategy problem will leave you feeling seen but no less stuck. A great strategist on a feeling problem will leave you overwhelmed by a plan you cannot yet emotionally hold.
Diagnose the problem before you hire the person. That single step will save you years.