MENTORING AND COACHING EXPLAINED
MENTORING is one person advising and informing another
person about what they know.
COACHING is one person working with another to enable this person to arrive at the solutions that come from within themselves and that suit them.
Differentiator #1:
Coaching is task oriented. The focus is on concrete issues,
such as managing more effectively, speaking more articulately, and learning how
to think strategically. This requires a content expert (coach) who is capable
of teaching the coachee how to develop these skills.
Mentoring is relationship oriented. It seeks to provide a
safe environment where the mentee shares whatever issues affect his or her
professional and personal success. Although specific learning goals or
competencies may be used as a basis for creating the relationship, its focus
goes beyond these areas to include things, such as work/life balance,
self-confidence, self-perception, and how the personal influences the
professional.
Differentiator #2:
Coaching is short term. A coach can successfully be involved
with a coachee for a short period of time, maybe even just a few sessions. The
coaching lasts for as long as is needed, depending on the purpose of the
coaching relationship.
Mentoring is always long term. Mentoring, to be successful,
requires time in which both partners can learn about one another and build a
climate of trust that creates an environment in which the mentee can feel
secure in sharing the real issues that impact his or her success. Successful
mentoring relationships last nine months to a year.
Differentiator #3:
Coaching is performance driven. The purpose of coaching is
to improve the individual's performance on the job. This involves either
enhancing current skills or acquiring new skills. Once the coachee successfully
acquires the skills, the coach is no longer needed.
Mentoring is development driven. Its purpose is to develop
the individual not only for the current job, but also for the future. This
distinction differentiates the role of the immediate manager and that of the
mentor. It also reduces the possibility of creating conflict between the
employee's manager and the mentor.
Differentiator #4:
Coaching does not require design. Coaching can be conducted
almost immediately on any given topic. If a company seeks to provide coaching
to a large group of individuals, then certainly an amount of design is involved
in order to determine the competency area, expertise needed, and assessment
tools used, but this does not necessarily require a long lead-time to actually
implement the coaching program.
Mentoring requires a design phase in order to determine the
strategic purpose for mentoring, the focus areas of the relationship, the
specific mentoring models, and the specific components that will guide the
relationship, especially the matching process.
Differentiator # 5:
The coachee's immediate manager is a critical partner in
coaching. She or he often provides the coach with feedback on areas in which
his or her employee is in need of coaching. This coach uses this information to
guide the coaching process
In mentoring, the immediate manager is indirectly involved.
Although she or he may offer suggestions to the employee on how to best use the
mentoring experience or may provide a recommendation to the matching committee
on what would constitute a good match, the manager has no link to the mentor
and they do not communicate at all during the mentoring relationship. This
helps maintain the mentoring relationship's integrity.
When a company is seeking to develop its leaders or talent
pool as part of succession planning
When a company seeks to develop its diverse employees to
remove barriers that hinder their success
When a company seeks to more completely develop its
employees in ways that are additional to the acquisition of specific
skills/competencies
When a company seeks to retain its internal expertise and
experience residing in its baby boomer employees for future generations
When a company wants to create a workforce that balances the
professional and the persona
When a company is seeking to develop its employees in
specific competencies using performance management tools and involving the
immediate manager
When a company has a number of talented employees who are
not meeting expectations
When a company is introducing a new system or program
When a company has a small group of individuals (5-8) in
need of increased competency in specific areas
When a leader or executive needs assistance in acquiring a
new skill as an additional responsibility
COMPARISON |
COACHING |
MENTORING |
TRAINING |
Emphasis is on |
Performance or behaviour transformation |
Career, behaviour and all-round development
orientation |
Skills training, upgrading skills and skill
advancement |
Time horizon |
Short term |
Long term |
Variable -depending on purpose of training |
Type |
Formal and task-orientated and task performance
driven |
|
Formal and usually structured with measurable
learning outcomes |
Facilitator skill requirements |
Expert in field |
High knowledge and broad experience |
Expert in field, high knowledge and subject matter
expert |
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