Coaching Vs Mentoring - A Definition to Understand What You Need

Do I need a Coach or a Mentor? If you know the definition you will be able to fill better your needs.

👉 Here the transcript of the video:

▶ Do I need a Coach or a Mentor?

“ – Do I need a coach? Do I need a mentor instead? I am not sure… after all, what is the difference between the 2 of them?”

As a coach, and at the beginning of a chemistry session with my clients, those would be typical questions and rightfully asked of course.
So, in what coaching and mentoring differ?

First, what they have in common: they both aim at supporting their client in achieving their specific goal or objective

A coach and a mentor also use similar tools such as empathy, active listening, being non-judgmental, etc.

Now, the main difference between the two of them resides in the HOW. How a coach or a mentor during a session will help you reach your goals. Let me explain further:

▶ Neutral Role and Non-Neutral Role

A coach will actively help you do a deep dive into yourself in order to bring to light or create a new awareness about yourself and upon which you can take a new course of action.

In this case, the coach has an active but NEUTRAL role: a coach firmly believes in their client’s own resources: “you have it all in yourself”.

A mentor on the other hand will contribute actively to the session by sharing his expertise, experience, tools, techniques.

In this case, the mentor plays also an active but NON-NEUTRAL role.

▶ An Example and a Metaphore

So, for example, let’s say that I am struggling with my presentation skills in front of an audience and I want to improve them.

A coach will guide me through the process of creating new awareness about myself

- How do I function?
- What are my internal processes?, etc

and based on this insight, on these new things that I realize about myself, what actions I can then take and commit to, that will eventually help fulfill my objective.

A mentor will actively contribute to the session by sharing what worked for him, for example, the do’s and don’ts that made him a successful speaker.

As a mentee I might consider start and apply them in my future presentations.

Using a metaphor from my friend and coach Fabrizio di Paoli that illustrates the difference between coaching and mentoring:

“the coach is a travel companion expert in hiking who accompanies the client along the path he has chosen to tackle. The mentor is an expert guide of a specific path who through his own experience, suggests to the client the best way to follow it."

So, do I need a coach, or do I need a mentor?

That comes all down to ask yourself the question of what is your objective?

ツ CONNECT WITH ME ツ

Hi,

my name is Mark Anderson a 20+ year Lean Expert.
I have created LeanVlog because I want to spread Lean Thinking worldwide and I think the video is the most effective way to teach, learn, and spread knowledge.

If you want to stay in touch with me you can choose the channel you prefer.

A) Let us connect on Linkedin

B) Meet on Facebook

C) Latest Videos and Playlist

D) 2 Videos Every Week

▶ Do you need this kind of video for your company or your training class?