Mentor or Coach
Nothing today is simple. We are all doing our best to learn as much as possible to become the best leaders and managers in a complicated environment. Is it any wonder that many of us struggle to keep up with new concepts, new theories, new requirements, and new challenges?
While we certainly do not have all the answers, you may know that over the past 12 or so years, we’ve authored a few books, blogs, and articles on topics relating to leadership, management, and many others, such as employee engagement.
Today’s topic is a continuation of the important subject of mentoring, and we’ve added coaching to the mix.
Let’s dive in. Is a mentor a coach, or is a coach a mentor, or are they significantly different? Should they be discussed as related topics?
While there are similarities, consider some of the differences:
Coaching tends to be for a shorter time period than a mentoring program. Many coaching assignments are for months rather than years while mentoring programs can be longer than a year or more.
Coaching programs tend to be more performance driven while mentoring programs have the goal of mastering new skills and tend to be more development focused.
Coaching is about assisting people unlock their full potential and achieve goals. Mentoring tends to be more about developing the relationship between the mentor and mentee.
Coaching provides a safe, nonjudgmental place for the staff member to gain valuable insights. In mentoring, as the relationship between mentor and mentee develops, greater insights into the working relationship deepen the experiences and allow for growth opportunities for the mentee.
The process used to match a mentor with a mentee is critical to the success of the program, but it may not have the same importance in the coaching relationship.
While mentors certainly use the questioning process, both coaches and mentors encourage people to be self-aware.
Coaches and mentors each use techniques including active listening, Emotional Intelligence, and empathy to coach and mentor staff members.
Mentors frequently share personal experiences and stories to help mentees grow and develop their skills while many coaches tend to be more straight forward in their sharing.
At the end of a coaching assignment or a mentoring program, it is recommended that the coach or mentor uses some sort of measurement process to determine the outcome. Many times, coaching assignments are extended to allow for additional learning and growth.
Coaching and mentoring—lots to discover as we dive deeper into these topics over the next months. In the meantime, check out our books, The Decisive Manager and The Manager’s Answer Book, for more tips and insights into these topics.