The influence, direction, or advice provided by a mentor is known as mentoring. A mentor is someone who instructs or offers guidance and support to a less seasoned and frequently younger individual.
Coaching has the ability to bring forth a coachee’s potential. The solution in a coaching model might be known to the coachees already. Coach makes an effort to steer the coachees toward the solutions rather than giving them direct answers. Asking challenging questions is one of a coach’s most powerful techniques.
Can you tell which of these two definitions applies to this situation? I can. Isn’t it strange that we constantly equate advising with instructing when we hear someone with experience?
Let me share an instance with you when I learned the true worth of a mentor versus a coach.
I was working for a company where each employee was assigned a Professional Development Coach to help them with their self-development and advancement. The PD coach was expected to assist the association in achieving its aims, and the Associate was supposed to set yearly objectives. However, according to business standards, it should be coaching, but to me, it seemed more like mentoring. Please allow me to clarify.
According to the Org, a coach is required to inquire of the associate, “What would he/she do in this situation?”
It would have been easy if there was a piece of clear advice given rather than giving some specific instructions which the associate was not expecting. There is a fine line between these two terms, and even if you are a coach, there are occasions when mentoring is necessary.
I believe the coach in the aforementioned case ought to have answered as follows:
Let’s assess the scenarios you have already tried and those you believe merit further investigation.
OR
“Perhaps you can attempt some of the things that I did in situations like this”.
If the associate had learned how to think about other options, he wouldn’t have gotten in touch with the coach.
In the business sector, these jobs are always given to experienced team members so they can mentor junior employees by sharing their knowledge and experiences.
I believe that by using a coaching method, anyone may develop an independent decision-making attitude. However, there are moments when the coach must decide whether to act as a mentor or a coach.
Allow me to elaborate on the distinction between mentoring and coaching.
Coach Mentor
A coach is task- and performance-oriented. They will evaluate and critique the colleagues based on their performance. | A mentor and mentee work together to strengthen one other’s skills. They share their professional or personal skills and expertise with their mentees. |
The timeframe is frequently short and determined. | A mentor has a long-term, flexible period. |
The strategy’s constant focal point is performance. | The strategy’s driving force is development. |
The relationship between a coach and an associate is strictly professional. | With the mentee, mentors may share both professional and maybe personal interactions. |
During the coaching mentorship, sessions are organised on a regular basis as part of the highly well-planned coaching programme. | Mentoring has a relaxed, unstructured approach and is only employed when necessary. |
Coaches are quite good at getting their passengers where they need to go. | Professionals in your field serve as mentors. |
Every successful coaching programme has a distinct, measurable result.. | Throughout mentorship, this is dynamic and continually changing. |
While examining the comparison above, consider the particular description, circumstance, and scenario where mentoring or coaching is required.
If you wish to train or mentor anybody, many factors are crucial. To become a coach or mentor, one must adhere to a variety of methods. Start coaching or mentoring people and having a positive impact on their life by understanding the following steps.
1. Understand your expertise
Understanding your field of knowledge is crucial because you should be able to respond authoritatively to questions about it if they are posed to you. If you’re new to something, focus on developing knowledge in areas where you can get by with less time investment. For example, read self-help books and start learning from them so that you may later apply what you’ve learned to assist others. Develop your self-confidence so that your mentee or associate will feel at ease approaching you.Build your name in your industry/leadership area.
2. Practice
3. Read Books
Reading books and learning from them has yielded fantastic outcomes for persons attempting to work in this field as full-time professionals or part-timers. Many free books are accessible online that will teach you psychological tactics for training yourself to be competent enough to help others. I read a book, jot down my notes, and then try to apply what I’ve learned wherever possible.
4. Be confident
5. Continue learning
Enrol in educational classes so you can learn something new every day and start putting it into practice with your mentee and other people. Even if the information is unrelated to their objectives, share it anyhow. The fact that you are involved fosters confidence and trust in your mentee/associate.
