What could be a single word or phrase for the one who helps people to achieve their goals?

Question

I was just wondering about this word to suggest it to my friend to use it for the NGO he is going to start soon.

Answer 1

So, there are plenty of words available to accomplish this aim, however you should use them in the proper situation. I mention some of them here (please note that some of these words have other meanings too, but I just focus on the related meaning here):

Coach: Someone who trains a person or team in a sport.
e.g.: A tennis coach.

Lecturer: Someone who gives lectures, especially in a university.
e.g.: She's a brilliant lecturer.

Instructor: Someone who teaches .
e.g.: A driving instructor.

Trainer: Someone who teaches people particular skills, especially the skills they need to do a job.
e.g.: A teacher trainer.

Governess: A woman who lived with a family and taught their children in past times.
e.g.: As a governess, Charlotte Brontë received twenty pounds a year.

Educator: (formal) Someone whose job involves teaching people, or someone who is an expert on education.
e.g.: Most educators agree that class sizes are still too big.

Mentor: An experienced person who advises and helps a less experienced person.
e.g.: Auden later became a friend an mentor.

Professor: A teacher in a college or university. In Britain, a professor is a high-ranking university teacher, especially one who is head of a department.
e.g.: She was professor of linguistics at Cambridge University.

Leader: The person who directs or controls a group, organization, country, etc.
e.g.: The leader of the local black community.

Guide: Someone whose job is to take tourists to a place and show them around.
e.g.: A tour guide.

Guru: Someone who knows a lot about a particular subject, and gives advise to other people.
e.g.: A management guru.

Counsellor/counselor: Someone whose job is to help and support people with problems.
e.g.: Are you seeing a counsellor?

Consultant: Someone whose job is to advice on a particular subject.
e.g.: A management consultant.

All the meaning and examples borrowed from the Longman dictionary.

Answer 2

I would say facilitator or guide.

Answer 3

The first word to my mind is mentor:

-- an experienced and trusted adviser.

Answer 4

Enabler, one who enables. Not commonly used in British English.
It can also have negative connotations, meaning someone who allows an addict to keep up his addictive habit. (ref psychcentral.com, wikipedia.com )

Answer 5

How about guide?

Especially if "your goal" is a literal mountain peak.

Answer 6

I live in Granada, Nicaragua. When we got our residency, we got help from a professional local who knows the ropes. He is referred to as an 'expeditor'.

Answer 7

muse: Typically a female person or female ethereal presence that inspires creativity and a desire to create and achieve.

Derived from the term used to in Greek mythology to describe Zeuss's nine daughters who presided over the arts.

Used most commonly when inspiration and creativity are primary considerations.

Tough crowd...noting the "sponsor" and "calls for help" referring back to the original question, helping people achieve their goals, these would be strong indicators to me, that the term is appropriate as offered? From Wikipedia:

The Muses were both the embodiments and sponsors of performed metrical speech: mousike (hence the English term "music") was just "one of the arts of the Muses". Others included Science, Geography, Mathematics, Philosophy, and especially Art, Drama, and inspiration. Some authors invoke Muses when writing poetry, hymns or epic history. The invocation typically occurs at or near the beginning, and calls for help or inspiration, or simply invites the Muse to sing through the author.

Muse        Domain                    Emblem
Calliope    Epic poetry               Writing tablet
Clio        History                   Scrolls
Euterpe     Song and elegiac poetry   Aulos (an ancient Greek musical instrument like a flute)
Erato       Lyric poetry              Cithara (an ancient Greek musical instrument in the lyre family)
Melpomene   Tragedy                   Tragic mask
Polyhymnia  Hymns                     Veil
Terpsichore Dance                     Lyre
Thalia      Comedy                    Comic mask
Urania      Astronomy                 Globe and compass