Some people view executive coaching as nothing more than mentoring with a fancy name. They use this opinion to justify not spending money on coaching in situations where it would clearly be a good thing. There certainly is some overlap between coaching and mentoring, but there are differences between the two that make them unique and applicable to different situations.
Mentoring
Mentoring has been used for centuries as a way to pass knowledge from one person to another. It typically involves an older, more experienced individual spending time with and teaching a younger, less experienced individual. It can be an effective way to instill institutional values and knowledge in a new generation of workers before the old generation of workers is gone. The practice of apprenticeship has long been a form of structured mentorship.
Until recently, most mentoring in business organizations was done on an informal basis. It happened almost by chance when an experienced executive would take an interest in the career of a younger employee who appeared to have great potential. Interactions between the two were often irregular and there were seldom any specific development goals. Fortunate indeed was the younger worker who found themselves with a mentor who could guide them through an organization’s “minefields” and help them gain valuable information.
Coaching
Coaching has also been around for centuries, but until recently the practice was most often used in the world of sports. The coach sets goals for the team, helps them develop their skills, and gives feedback regularly to improve performance. To better visualize the traditional model of coaching, think about whatever sport is most familiar to you and focus in on the coach’s role.
In the modern business world, executive coaching follows a similar model. A good coach knows how to work with a participant to maximize their development. They tailor goals and actions to focus in on what the participant wants to improve and offer valuable feedback along the way. An important aspect of the coaching relationship when the coach is from outside the organization is that he or she is likely to be able to offer a valuable level of objectivity. In this case, the coach is not enmeshed with the politics and other company issues that can sidetrack growth and keep the participant from his or her full potential.
Bringing It Together
Mentoring and coaching are not in competition with each other. In fact, they can be used in combination with each other or alongside each other. There is a lot of value to passing along institutional wisdom, and there is a lot of value to developing new ways of thinking, too. The most progressive companies today use both formal mentoring and executive coaching at different levels of their organization to foster development and growth throughout.
