Suddenly i feel i have not done justice to my blog and have quite forgotten how long it has been that i penned. Its fascinating to note that there is such a thin line that differentiates mentoring and coaching and for many years, i thought they were the same. The other day, Deepa just triggered this conversation and well, one thought led to another and suddenly, we were debating non stop! Do mentoring and coaching overlap? What are the similarities and how different are they? The first difference is that mentoring probably works best when the mentor is not your reporting manager (probably) am not trying to rub on the wrong side folks:) Is coaching a subset of mentoring? I believe so. Mentoring is certainly beyond learning immediate skills, using them to perform better at the work place or as a person! Mentoring is "HOLISTIC"- i truly love this word.. in fact, offlate people have started associating my conversations with "holistic"," typically" and of course "Mentoring"- sorry, a wee bit away from the subject...I have received several responses to this question as part of LinkedIn answers and some of them are worthy of reflection. I am sharing a few here :
David Goshorn wrote:
I would like to answer you question with a bit of an explanation. I believe coaching and mentoring to be greatly different. In mentoring, the mentor is the expert who gives knowledge and training to the protege. In coaching, the person being coached is believed to have (or at least have the ability to obtain) the knowledge and skills necessary to do their job. Coaching is more about getting the greatest potential out of the person being coached, from what that person already has. Coaching is a way of building confidence, where I see mentoring as a way of building competence. A person who already has the skills necessary to do a job, doesn't need a mentor. A coach would be better suited to help that person perform at their greatest potential. That said, to answer your question, I would have to say that it depends. It depends on the needs of the specific organization. Coaches would be better suited for group that is seeking to help their people perform at higher levels. Mentors would be the solution for ones that are seeking new skills or career paths.
Jeroen Kaldenhoven wrote:
Dear Meenalochani,
Coach An expert on people and personal development. Typically a skilled specialist regarding a certain topic, competency, or industry. A coach's role is to provide structure, foundation, and support so people can begin to self-generate the results they want on their own. Coaching is a process of inquiry, relying on the use on well crafted questions, rather than continually sharing the answer to get people to sharpen their own problem solving skills. Learning and growth are achieved by both parties involved. In coaching, the relationship is objective, and the focus is not only on what the person needs to do to become more successful but also who the person is and how he thinks. A coach works on the whole person and is multidimensional, rather than focusing only on what the person is already doing. The coaching relationship is built on choice rather than necessity.
Mentor An expert in a field, industry, or at a company who typically acts as an internal advisor. Usually this is done on a professional level to advance the mentored person's career. Often mentors have their own approach already in mind and use the system that has worked for them in the past, without taking into consideration the style, values, integrity, or strengths of the people they mentor. As such, the mentor offers more solutions and answers to the person they mentor, rather than questions that challenge people to change their thinking and behavior; making this more of a one way, training-driven vs. collaborative (coaching) relationship. Mentors may also have something to gain professionally and, as such, have their own personal agenda. Often, mentors are not trained, and their guidance is based more on their experience rather than the skills or proficiencies needed to mentor. Often, the mentoring relationship is need-driven rather than driven by choice.
Hope this helps, regards, Jeroen
Rhonda M. Perry wrote:
Coaching and mentoring differential as I see it. Mentoring you “pay it forward” and coaching you” pay"
Jason Potrzeba wrote:
I think which one would get used more in the corporate context would depend on the experience level of those needing the motivation and direction. If you have a core group of “seasoned vets” than the coaching to bring them to their personal best would be more useful. If however, the group is lacking in the experience department, a mentoring program may be more appropriate.
I’m not sure what type of corporate environment you are referring to but there might also be a third option here, if you have a core group with good experience, habits and individuals who get results, you might be able to pair them up with the newer less experienced employees working under some sort of mentoring program. You could probably still offer some coaching on a smaller scale.
Jason
Steve Stokes wrote:
A mentor is one who guides by way of demonstration. The novice/student is expected to emulate the mentor in order to learn what the mentor knows.
A coach is one who guides by way of explanation. The novice/student is expect to do as the coach instructs in order to learn what the coach is trying to train.
There is of course overlap in both these approaches. Some coaches mentor and some mentors coach.
On 10/16/08 11:48 AM, Steve Stokes added the following clarification:Obi Wan was a mentor for Luke, Yoda was a coach.
VC Murali Swaminathan wrote:
This question is asked quite too often. The differences are at one level very subtle. The major differences between Mentoring and Coaching are: * Mentoring process is critical in the socialization phase of a new entrant in the organization, whereas, coaching process occurs in the context of work environment for effective performance. * Mentoring encourages an informal relationship, whereas, coaching is a formal contractual relationship. * The emphasis of mentoring is reflection and guidance, whereas, coaching develops specific skills & learning in an individual * Mentoring passes on wisdom, whereas, coaching emphasizes on personal change via self-awareness and self-reflection * Solutions are OFFERED in mentoring, whereas, solutions are EXPLORED and DISCOVERED in coaching. * Mentoring is a part of coaching, whereas, coaching involves the use of counseling skills. * Mentoring focuses on inspirational role-modelling, whereas, coaching focuses on measurable performance improvement.
From meeeeeee now:):):)
So many thoughts and so little time.. i also realise how vast out thought processes are and what a blessing that is indeed. What would we do without "thought diversity" and how mundane life and existence would be. So, thanking all the people who contributed to my question, here is me signing off for now:)
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