There is a lot of debate and discussion about the terms “mentoring” and “coaching”. It is important to have a clear understanding as a base to any mentoring or coaching programmes for yourself or your business before you start.
I like the definitions below – Carol ;
“A mentor is usually referred to as a “critical friend”, or guide who is responsible for overseeing the career and development of another person outside the normal manager/subordinate relationship” Clutterbuck and Sweeney (1997)
“A coach is someone who plans an intervention - designed to improve the performance of an individual in a specific task” Clutterbuck and Sweeney (1997)
Some other definitions;
CIPD defines coaching as – developing a person’s skills and knowledge so that their job performance improves, hopefully leading to the achievement of organisational objectives. It targets high performance and improvement oat work, although it may also have an impact on an individual’s private life. It usually lasts for a short period and focuses on specific skills and goals.
CIPD defines mentoring as – Traditionally mentoring is the long term passing on of support, guidance and advice. In the workplace it has tended to describe a relationship in which a more experienced colleague uses their great knowledge and understanding of the work or workplace to support the development of a more junior or inexperienced member of staff. This comes from the Greek myth where Odysseus entrusts the education of his son to his friend Mentor. Its also a form of apprenticeship.
CIPD – Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development
Coaching is a conversation, a dialogue, whereby the coach and the individual interact in a dynamic exchange to achieve goals, enhance performance and more the individual forward to greater success – Zues & Skiffington
I think it is important to distinguish between coaching and mentoring and agree I with Clutterbuck and Sweeney (1997)
| Coaching | Mentoring |
| Focus on task | Focus on progress |
| Usually short term | Usually longer term – sometimes for life |
| Explicit feedback | Intuitive feedback |
| Develops skills | Develops capabilities |
| Driven by coach | Driven by mentee/learner |
| Shows you where you went wrong | Helps you to work it out yourself |
One of the ways to think about the difference is to visualise how the conversation and relationship would be different if you had a scheduled coaching discussion at 12 to discuss your expectations, roles and responsibilities compared to if you called your mentor to discuss some things that you have been thinking about.
What really matters in a coaching and/or mentoring relationship is that you know WHY?
What are you hoping to achieve, to change, to gain out of the relationship?
What is it you want to prevent happening, failure, breakdown in communication, lack of performance?
You may even want to work with the coach to find out what it is you do want!
All of them are right and your coach or mentor will make sure that both of you know what the relationship is aiming to achieve for you from the outset.
If you want to benefit from coaching in your organisation , business or personal performance and reach these levels contact us to find out how to make it happen.
email profit@yorkshirebusinessservices.com
tel: 01943 607851
