In my last post, I described the work of an executive coach
by using the International Coaching Federation’s definition of the coaching
process: “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process
that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
One useful way to further explore coaching is to contrast it
with another common approach to leadership development –
mentoring. While both services can
overlap and lead to results, it is important to understand the similarities and
distinctions when evaluating which of these approaches will best serve you in
achieving your goals.
Coaching
Coaching is a learning process. Coaches don’t solve problems for their
clients: instead, they use powerful questions and active listening to help
their client gain insight through self discovery. Coaches offer support and objective
perspective to clients with a focus on gaining clarity on values and
priorities, and better alignment of personal and professional goals.
Top-level coaches are professionally trained and may be
certified by a credentialing body such as the International Coaching
Federation. Their educational
backgrounds and career experience may vary widely. Some coaches are experienced professionals
who have transitioned to full-time coaching; others utilize coaching in the
context of organizational development or psychology. Because the focus is on the client, executive
coaches don’t have to offer direct experience in the client’s work or industry
to be effective.
Coaching relationships are typically structured, with
clearly defined goals and defined periods of engagement. For example, a coaching relationship may
include bi-monthly sessions over a six or twelve month period. Coaching may be provided for an individual
or programmatically for a cohort of leaders within an organization.
Some situations where coaching might be especially effective
include: a desire to reach a stretch goal, taking on a significant new
challenge, an imbalance between personal and professional goals, a need to make
a “breakthrough” in leadership abilities to meet goals, and a need to better
manage conflict and relationships.
Mentoring
The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes a mentor as simply
“a trusted counselor or guide,” but in a good mentor-mentee relationship, a
mentor is much more than that. A mentor
shares his or her knowledge, experience, and wisdom with a mentee, in hopes the
mentee will benefit from what the mentor has learned over the course of his or
her career.
Many mentors are role models, displaying the kinds of
actions their mentees should adopt through their behaviors. They often have specific knowledge of the
industry mentees are in, and can both share that knowledge and use it to open
doors for those with whom they are working.
Mentors can introduce their mentees to others who will help
them get ahead; share information about the industry they are in; and advocate
with senior leaders on behalf of their mentees.
They know the “politics” of organizations and industries, and can
provide specific strategic advice.
The relationship between a mentor and a mentee tends to be
informal and in most cases is voluntary. The frequency of contact and topics discussed may
vary significantly. Mentoring
relationships may last many years.
Situations where mentoring might be most effective include:
the need to increase organizational knowledge, a desire for advice on how to
solve problems, a need to expand relationships and political savvy.
Summary
Both coaching and mentoring can offer significant benefits
to a leader. Coaching is focused on the
client, with an emphasis on building leadership capacity. Mentoring is centered on the transition of
knowledge from the mentor to the mentee.
The table below provides a brief summary of some of the key differences:
|
|
Coaching
|
Mentoring
|
|
Focus in on
|
Goal setting, learning, change
|
Transfer of knowledge
|
|
Provided by
|
A trained/credentialed coach
|
A respected, senior-level, role model
|
|
Methods
|
Active listening, reflection, exploration, accountability
|
Advice, problem solving, networking
|
|
Format
|
Formal, structured, time bound
|
Informal, long-term
|
Depending on your needs and resources, one or even both of
these services together can effectively help you to reach your goals.
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