In today’s busy and often uncertain times, why are people willing to give up their own time to mentor or coach others at no cost or perceived benefit for themselves? Is this a one way street? Some will even argue that despite having the support of a Coach or Mentor, they still have to do things for themselves. So what’s the benefit in that?
Coaching and Mentoring are often used as interchangeable words however there is a difference. Before we look the importance of these very valuables activities, let’s identify what the key differences are so that we can differentiate and better understand the benefits for everyone involved.
Mentoring
- Mentoring tends to be focused on the relationship between the Mentor and the Mentee and seeks to provide a safe environment for the Mentee to discuss or share any issues that may affect his/her professional and personal development .
- The relationship between the Mentor and Mentee tends to be for a longer period of time and can continue indefinitely.
- The nature of meetings can be more informal and meetings tend to take place when the Mentee needs advice, support or guidance.
- The agenda is set by the mentee, with the Mentor providing support and guidance to prepare them for future roles.
- The Mentor is usually a more senior person with more experience and/or qualification than the Mentee.
- A Mentor is like a sounding board. S/he can give advice but the Mentee is free to pick and choose what they do.
Coaching
- Coaching tends to be task orientated focusing on developing a specific issue or area of development and provides an opportunity for the Coachee to develop his/her skills by learning from the Coach.
- The relationship between Coach and Coachee tends to be for a shorter, fixed period of time.
- The nature of meetings are more structured and tend to take place on a more regular basis.
- The agenda is focused on achieving specific, immediate goals.
- The Coach does not need to have experience in the Coachees job role, unless the coaching is specific and skills-focused.
- A Coach tries to direct a person to an end result, The Coachee may choose how to get there, but the Coach assesses and monitors progress giving advice when needed.
Whatever the differences, both coaching and mentoring have a very valid role to play in today’s work environment. For years, coaching and mentoring programmes have been used as a way to guide people and to transfer knowledge from one person to another.
So let’s look at some of the benefits for everyone involved; the Coach, the Coachee, the Mentor, the Mentee and the Organisation.
Employee Morale
Coaching and mentoring can have a direct impact on increasing an employee’s morale which in turn can help boost an employee’s commitment to the organisation. This can ultimately result in an increase in performance, productivity and potentially, retention.
Organisational Culture
Getting to understand and embrace the culture of a new organisation can sometimes prove to be very difficult and a new employee can really benefit from having someone they can go to for information. Both the Coach and Mentor can to be an excellent source of information. This can include more formal information such as the organisation structure, company policies and procedures but equally as important, they can share information about things that aren’t written into a manual or covered in the induction programme; The ‘how things work around here’ and the do’s and don’ts of the organisation.
Knowledge Transfer
Both coaching and mentoring programmes can provide employees with knowledge and insights that cannot be learnt in the classroom or by reading a book. By sharing real-life examples and on the job knowledge, these interventions can bridge the gap between theory and actual business practices.
Skills Development
Taking advantage of the expertise and knowledge of experienced professionals can help bring younger or less experienced employees up to speed very quickly. On top of developing employees, coaching and mentoring can improve the overall performance of a team by helping to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each employee. Mangers can then use this to capitalize on the resources within the team
Retention
Coaching and mentoring programmes can encourage loyalty to the company. Through mentoring in particular, senior, more experienced professionals can help to mould the career of a Mentee and as a result the individual is likely to feel a greater sense of connection and commitment to the organisation
Leadership Skills
The Coach and Mentor can also benefit from these programmes as the process can help to enhance their leadership skills and help them stay in touch with the day to day reality of the business across all levels of the organisation
Sense of Satisfaction
Those serving as the Coach or Mentor can gain a lot of personal and professional satisfaction by sharing their expertise with others. Having acted as both a Coach and Mentor, the satisfaction achieved in helping and guiding someone else by using your own experience and expertise is a very motivating and rewarding feeling
So what are the key skills and attributes you should look for when picking a Coach or Mentor to work with you to support your development?
Chemistry between both parties is very important so don’t ignore this however here are my top tips of what you should look for when selecting your Coach or Mentor.
A good Mentor will:
- Lead by example
- Motivate and inspire you
- Give advice based on experience
- Be prepared to give you open honest feedback
- Have a good network of people to tap into
- Be a seasoned professional and teach you what you can’t learn in the classroom
- Has time and energy and the desire to help you achieve / succeed
A good Coach will:
- Be organised and process driven
- Be committed to supporting your development
- Be a good listener
- Be prepared to give you open honest feedback
- Be knowledgeable / skilled
- Be patient and flexible
- Be firm and realistic