Coaching Vs. Mentoring, Which One Should You Focus?
Most of the time, coaching and mentoring are used interchangeably which is understandable. This is because these two utilise similar skillset and approach. However, these two disciplines differ in terms of focus, role, relationship, and timeframe. Understanding the difference between these two leads you to a proper understanding of whether you need career coach or mentor. In a workplace setup, mentoring and coaching require different dynamics for your employees and colleagues.
Mentoring and Coaching Defined
According to Thomas Addington and Stephen Graves, mentoring is a mutual relationship with an intentional agenda designed to relay specific content along with life wisdom from person to another. Additionally, it aims to help the mentee change something and improve performance, develop certain qualities and skills. On the other hand, coaching is a more formal structured association focused on behaviour and performance improvements to resolve specific issues or certain aspects. While they differ from each other, these disciplines share similar characteristics in while both have defined roles that enable individuals to envision the accomplishment of their goals. The setup may vary but the working relationship both need respect, communication, and trust.
Significant Roles
A career coach has a certain set of agenda to change skills or reinforce behaviours. A coach helps identifies a person’s needs and developed action plans. It puts heavy emphasis on instruction, evaluation, and monitoring. Meanwhile, most of the mentees refer to their mentors as their confident, friend or questioner. Mentors have a mutual relationship with their mentees. They discuss a mentee’s identified needs prior to their mentor-mentee relationship. The focus of mentorship is on active listening, suggesting, providing data and establishing connections. Mentorship is a two-way beneficial relationship wherein a mentor is perceived as teachers or facilitators.
Approach
Even in a formal setup, mentors and mentee have choices to continue the program and decide on the frequency and focus. Coaching is a structured set whereby participants work towards specific objectives. The relationship between a coach and a participant is on a short-term basis.
Coaching Vs Mentoring, which is which?
Coaching is a performance-driven discipline. Once the goal is achieved, let’s say the coachee has improved its performance or acquired a new skill, the service of a coach may no longer be needed. On the other hand, mentorship can be a continuous activity wherein a mentee doesn’t just develop his current situation but also his future.
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