Coaching is more performance-based and is designed to improve professional performance at work. Mentoring is more developmentally oriented, since it not only focuses on the professional's current job function, but also beyond, and adopts a more holistic approach to professional development. Most of the time, the coaching relationship has been seen as a more formal commitment. A specially trained coach has been sought to support a client.
Mentoring, on the other hand, has often been considered informal. The mentors were within a company and the relationship would start organically. Sometimes people use the words “mentoring” and “coaching” interchangeably, but they don't describe the same type of working relationship. Both share specific objectives, such as employee learning and professional development, which leads to maximum performance and the realization of their full potential.
However, the definition, approach, role, approach and tools of each are different. Coaching is a skill (learn more about training skills for managers). Cameron came with years of experience coaching CEOs and founders in the Bay Area, and Keegan brought experience in behavioral psychology, evaluation and psychometrics. While it may seem wise to get advice or mentoring from someone who works in the same field, it's not necessary.
Increasing employee development opportunities through training and mentoring is directly related to how employees feel engaged at work. However, they will have experience in specific areas, such as training leaders or training agile teams. Now that we've looked at how mentoring and coaching are similar and how they differ, the next step is to understand when you would use these services for your company. Understand the fundamental difference and the many similarities and you'll be in a position to incorporate both mentoring and coaching into your management role.
There are many similarities between coaching and mentoring, but there is also a fundamental difference. To create objectives for the coaching relationship, they often use an evaluation, such as a 360-degree evaluation, to obtain a baseline for where to start. A coach or mentor can often support the acquisition of strategic knowledge that is less accessible to historically underrepresented groups within organizations. Implementing coaching and mentoring in your organization can support your learning and development objectives in different ways.
Providing high-potential employees with a dedicated coach or mentor provides them with a resource dedicated entirely to their development. While there are different training styles and types of professional coach, ultimately, a coach is someone who can support you in specific areas of personal or professional development. Once you understand the similarities and differences between coaching and mentoring, you can see how they can complement each other as development practices.
