The ability to effectively communicate and build trust are the most critical skills in leadership – and these skills are rooted in successful coaching and mentoring.
As a leader, coaching and mentoring are essential not only to seek out for your own development, but also to embed and model with your team.
Utilizing internal coaching and mentoring promotes growth and development benefits for the entire organization.
Often confused, there are distinct differences between mentoring and coaching:
- Focus: Coaching is specific and purposeful, while mentoring is broader and focuses on career development.
- Structure: Coaching is well planned and structured, while mentoring is unstructured and often informal.
- Duration: Coaching is shorter-term, while mentoring is often ongoing.
Coaching
Coaching is a professional relationship that helps people break through their limitations to achieve desired results in their lives and careers. Typically, the coach listens more and talks less, contributing with observations and questions. This interaction creates clarity and moves the individual into action. Coaching concentrates on discovering and clarifying goals while evoking solutions. A good coach is a “thinking partner” who resists the need to offer advice and instead, inspires the individual to tap into their own answers.
Mentoring
Mentoring follows an open and informal process as the need arises. It is a relationship between two individuals, in which a more experienced person shares their wisdom and knowledge with a less experienced person. By openly sharing knowledge, advice, and ideas, a mentor supports skill enhancement and avoids unnecessary trial and error processes. Particularly in leadership, a good mentor and role model can make all the difference for success.
If you are interested in coaching or mentoring for your own personal development or you are looking to promote the health of your organization or team, contact me for more information.