Coaching vs Mentoring? Don’t worry, we’re not asking you to choose, because we think they are both great. In our business, we are huge advocates for coaching and mentoring because we know from experience that both are incredibly powerful ways of supporting your employees to enhance and develop their skills. However, it can be easy to get them confused when working out which is the best option for you or your team. 

You may have been asked to mentor an employee without fully understanding what is required of you – likewise, if you’re thinking of hiring a coach, how is this different from being mentored? When it comes to coaching vs mentoring, what’s the difference and which one is the best option for you?

At Develerate, we offer one-to-one coaching support to help leaders and managers get the best from their teams. We also train people how to become mentors and coaches themselves, with personally-delivered, fully accredited courses for businesses and individuals. We are passionate about the benefits of coaching and mentoring, and have witnessed first-hand how they can increase employee engagement and performance, enhance the wellbeing of your team and reduce staff turnover. This passion is what has driven us to share our knowledge with others and help them to reach their full potential.  Often, people find themselves bundling coaching and mentoring together when they are in fact, two separate things. 

What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?

Mentoring roles tend to be knowledge or skills-based, so you are likely to be asked to mentor someone because of your knowledge or experience – and similarly, if you are asking someone to mentor you, it may be because you want to develop a new skill and you know that they will be able to help you to fill the gaps in your knowledge. Mentors can answer any job-specific questions you may have, can tell you what to expect, and how to deal with problems that may arise. Mentoring usually (but not always) tends to be focused on career development.

Coaching roles are not necessarily knowledge-based. A coach may not have any experience in your particular business sector, but they can help you to set goals and focus on the qualities that you need to succeed and reach your potential. The outcomes are specific, measurable and focused on improving your performance or well-being. A coach does not instruct their client or tell them what to do. They ask thought-provoking questions to help their clients arrive at their level of self-realisation, like a mirror that reflects your ambition or potential. The coaching journey is co-created between the coach and the client, to identify and address the client’s specific needs or goals. Some coaches might specialise in a specific area and focus on a particular element for improving performance, such as mindset, communication skills or leadership.

Coaching relationships tend to be shorter-term than mentoring ones. Coaching sessions are more structured. Coaches schedule regular meetings within a specific timeframe and will check in each time to see how their client is progressing towards a goal and what else needs to be done. A coach may use a structured coaching method such as the GROW model (Goal, Reality, Options, Will), to help clients develop and work towards their goals. There are a multitude of coaching models and at the outset of a coaching relationship, consideration will be given to ensure the most effective model and approach is taken. These may change during the course of the relationship, based on the needs of the coachee.

Mentoring is generally less formal. The person being mentored will often have a clear idea of the skills they want to develop and the questions they want to be answered. They will ask specific questions and set their own agenda. If you’re mentoring (or being mentored) in the workplace, then the mentor will tend to have a more senior role than the mentee and they will share their knowledge, experience and opinions. Coaches are usually impartial and help clients to arrive at their own conclusions and define a course of action, by listening, acknowledging and asking specific questions. They also offer accountability by setting regular check-ins to see how things are going, which can be extremely motivating. 

Coaching vs Mentoring – why the difference matters 

Whilst there are some similarities between coaching and mentoring (and we teach them as one course) there are also significant differences, so it is important to understand these to decide which one is the best option for you. 

Coaching can be viewed more as a collaborative partnership with someone to support you in achieving your potential, whereas mentoring is gaining the support of a trusted and experienced advisor who has specific knowledge and experience of what you are doing and what you would like to achieve next.

Here are some tips to help you decide whether you (or someone in your team) needs coaching or mentoring:

Coaching will help someone to:

  • Develop and realise their full potential
  • Set specific, measurable goals and be held accountable for achieving them
  • Prepare to move up the career ladder or choose a role that best meets their needs

Mentoring will help someone to:

  • Focus on their career development with specific ideas and knowledge on how to achieve this
  • Realise what’s possible for them within a specific career or organisation
  • Learn more about their potential and the skills needed to succeed from senior professionals

Before you get started with coaching or mentoring, it’s a good idea to think about what it is that you need assistance with, although your coach or mentor may help you to uncover some goals as well. A strong level of trust needs to be established between both parties and you may wish to set some ground rules regarding what you expect from each other, so there are no misunderstandings. You may also want to establish your desired outcomes before you get started, so that you both fully understand what you are trying to achieve. 

If you want to become a coach or mentor then ideally you will need to have good interpersonal skills and strong listening skills, plus you will need to be able to commit to regular meet-ups and check-ins and have a keen interest in supporting others. You need to be able to motivate and inspire, so will need to feel motivated and inspired yourself. Be prepared to listen, be able to identify goals, stay focused and give feedback or encouragement when needed. 

Coaching and mentoring are both extremely effective in helping leaders and managers to get the best from their teams. Both methods can increase employee engagement and retention, while reducing staff turnover. They can also help employees to feel more confident, more motivated and dramatically improve their performance. So why wouldn’t you want to learn these valuable skills! 

Want to learn how to coach or mentor your team?

We offer CMI-accredited  Level 3 Coaching and Mentoring and Level 5 Coaching and Mentoring  as an Award, Certificate or Diploma. If you’re not sure what level to start at, we will spend time with you to ensure that you select the qualification that best meets your needs. 

  • Learn how to establish key coaching and mentoring relationships
  • Learn how to support team members to develop their skills and confidence
  • Learn how to Support individuals to achieve strategic goals or outcomes 
  • Discover the principles, skills and impact of coaching and mentoring 
  • Understand when to apply coaching or mentoring, depending on individual needs

If you’re feeling like you need some support yourself and require one-to-one coaching or mentoring to develop your leadership skills, then we can help you with that, too. Being mentored or coached will also help to give you an insight into what is expected of you if you are thinking of becoming a coach or mentor yourself. Most coaches have a coach of their own! 

At Develerate, we are firm believers in lifelong learning and the benefits of having a growth mindset, and we’d love to help you to achieve your full potential. Just get in touch and we will be more than happy to help. Email hello@develerate.com.

Picture credit: Photo by Medienstürmer on Unsplash