What are Mentoring and Coaching?
Coaching and Mentoring are recognized as some of the best methods for developing skills and talents. Coaching and mentoring share many similarities, the common thread uniting all types of coaching and mentoring is that these services offer a vehicle for analysis, reflection and action that ultimately enable the individual to achieve success in one or more areas of their life and work.
Mentoring is a process found in all cultures and throughout history. The word 'Mentor' comes from the Greek Mythology. Ulysses before setting out on an epic voyage entrusted his son Telemachus to the care and direction of his old and trusted friend, Mentor. In modern days Mentor has come to mean an 'experienced and trusted adviser' and mentoring the art of facilitating the performance, the learning and the development of another. It usually works medium to long term and focuses on the development capabilities of the individuals.
There are different types of mentoring:
Formal
Formal mentoring has a beginning and an end. It is based on a mentoring agreement and has some type of formal matching process. It also has one or more checkpoints such as mid-term review to examine or reset goals and a final review to measure results.
Informal
An informal mentoring relationship usually occurs when one person (the mentee) seeks another for advice to do with the personal or professional life. It can also occur when a person (the mentor) reaches out to someone they know could benefit from their experience. These informal relationships tend to grow over a long period of time and are very effective and rewarding.
Reverse
Reverse mentoring relationships are developed to gain technical expertise, particularly in technological term, and a different perspective. They are normally between a younger professional or new recruit and an executive or older person within the organisation.
Peer Mentoring
Peer mentoring normally involves a group of individuals and may include team-building activities, which will encourage them to support and help each other on particular issues / topics. It is also useful to provide information and boosting of self-confidence and self-esteem with one’s peers.
Group Mentoring
Similar to one2one mentoring but the mentor works with a number or individuals either to achieve a common goal within the group, or create an environment where individuals can co-mentor each other.”
Network Mentoring
This is having a diversified portfolio of mentors and stems from the understanding that a single mentor can provide a limited spectrum of career and psychosocial functions. A single mentor can open only some doors or model only some valuable behavior. A mentoring network helps an individual to create productive alliances in different departments / offices and at different levels.
Coaching on the other hand is not generally performed on the basis that the coach has direct experience of their client’s occupation. In the words of Eric Parsloe in ‘The Manager as Coach and Mentor’, coaching is "..a process that enables learning and development to occur and thus performance to improve. To be a successful a Coach requires a knowledge and understanding of process as well as the variety of styles, skills and techniques that are appropriate to the context in which the coaching takes place"
There are different types of coaching:
Life Coaching
"A collaborative solution-focused, results-orientated and systematic process in which the coach facilitates the enhancement of work performance, life experience, self-directed learning and personal growth of the coachee." (Anthony Grant, University of Sydney, 2000)
Executive Coaching
This type of coaching is focused more specifically at senior management. It is expected that the coach feels comfortable in exploring both business related issues or personal development topics so that the client can improve performance and maximum effectiveness.
Corporate Coaching
Similar to life coaching but the objective of the coach is to support an employee either as an individual, as part of a team and/or organisation to achieve improved business performance and personal effectiveness.
Niche Coaching
In this case the coach is expert in addressing one particular aspect of an individual’s life such as career, work-life balance, presentation skills etc or deals with a particular section of the population e.g. lawyers, women etc.”
Having said all this, there are professionals offering their services as ‘mentoring’ who have no direct experience of their clients' roles and others offering services under ‘coaching’, who do. That is why it is important not to focus on the definitions but on determining the needs in order to ensure that the coach or mentor can supply the client with the type and level of service required.
For an informal discussion on mentoring and coaching and which one might be right for you and your organisation, please contact a Shine expert on 0208 3432520 or email us
