How do coaching and mentoring differ from each other?
When I think about coaching, the first thing that comes to mind is the world of sports like soccer, cricket, and athletics. Many of these athletes, Olympians, and World Champs such as Kirani James and Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce have excellent coaches that play a significant role in their training process. For the most part, coaches help their athletes achieve their goals whether it be to break a world record or become the fastest sprinter. Their role is not only apparent in the sporting arena, but it is also transferrable in other contexts like the workplace and higher education. In the organizational environment, coaches help maximize employees’ performances and productivity. They also “encourage employees to create and work towards goals that further their professional growth. They often draw on specific techniques and exercises that help employees develop strong teamwork, communication and leadership skills necessary to thrive in a working environment” (Indeed Editorial Team, 2023). Mentors, however, act as guides in the workplace providing advice and support to employees on a long-term basis. I like to think of mentors as teachers in a constructivist classroom. In this environment, teachers act as facilitators and guides, supporting students’ learning process.
Other key differences between coaches and mentors or coaching and mentoring as highlighted in the comparison chart below are as follows:
Coaching is task oriented while mentoring is relationship focused.
The coaching process places significant emphasis on employees’ performance and productivity while mentoring focuses more on their career development.
The coaching process lasts for a shorter period while mentoring typically lasts for a longer time.
A coach is considered to be an expert in the field with great expertise while a mentor possesses valuable knowledge, experience, and skills that help employees develop.
How can both fit into the organization's learning and development plan?
Mentoring and coaching can be implemented in an organization’s L&D plan to fill the knowledge and skills gaps that exist. These strategies may be better suited to teach people soft skills in an organization. More specifically, “knowledge workers will need to learn these skills from other people, not from non-relational sources such as e-learning. This need for a high degree of contextual awareness in these skill areas is driving the necessity for person-to-person learning processes, such as mentoring” (Chief Learning Officer, 2012). Generally, “mentoring and coaching are instrumental parts of the learning and development strategy of many organizations these days, and have been proven to be effective in terms of engaging, developing, and retaining talent. They are both integral tools in helping talent navigate their work and development within an organization” (Mobiquity Inc. Amsterdam, 2019).
Describe a situation in which you were coached or mentored by someone or one in which you were the mentor or coach? What impact did this coaching or mentoring experience have?
I consider my parents to be my very first mentors. They have provided much needed support and guidance throughout my academic career and work life. Whenever I needed advice on any given situation, they were the first people I’d run to. They have also imparted and equipped me with strong values, experiential knowledge, and a wide array of skills which helped me develop and blossom into the person that I am today. The exposure and life experiences that they have also bestowed on me shifted and impacted my perceptions on life as well as helped shape my worldview. I am indebted to them for all that they have done for me to date, and I am grateful to have had amazing parents!
Yours truly,
Krista
MDE student
University of Maryland Global Campus
University of Maryland Global Campus | UMGC
References
Amsterdam, M. I. (2019, March 27). Mentoring and coaching — defining their roles and importance. Medium. https://medium.com/brain-bites/mentoring-and-coaching-defining-their-roles-and-importance-6213cacb7455
Chief Learning Officer. (2012). Mentoring: Bridging the competency divide. Chief Learning Officer. Retrieved from http://www.clomedia.com/2012/08/30/mentoring-bridging-the-competency-divide/
Indeed Editorial Team. (2023). Mentoring vs. coaching: key differences and benefits. Indeed. https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/mentoring-vs-coaching
Key Differences. (2018, July 26). Difference between coaching and mentoring. Key Differences. https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-coaching-and-mentoring.html