Mentoring v. Coaching: Is there a difference?

14 years ago

I see it as mentoring as more of a free service. I have a real-estate buddy and he is considered my "mentor". We go out for coffee once a month and he teaches me about the business.

If he was my coach I would think it would be more of a paid relationship.

Cheers

Brandon

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tpw

14 years ago

I see Coaching as, I am going to tell you what to do and when to do it...

And with Mentoring, You can ask me questions, and I will offer you feedback to help you make your own decisions...

I would never employ a coach, but I would employ a mentor on my behalf...

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corinnek

14 years ago

Originally Posted by tpw

I see Coaching as, I am going to tell you what to do and when to do it...

And with Mentoring, You can ask me questions, and I will offer you feedback to help you make your own decisions...

This is my opinion. I see mentoring more as a friendly relationship, coaching more business.

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Jesus Perez

14 years ago

To me, a mentor "guides me" along a path with wisdom and advice. Basically, a 10000 foot overview from their past experience.

A coach gives me step-by-step directions and keeps me accountable on a 1-to-1 level.

A mentor gives guidance. A coach gives detailed plans.

That's how I see it. Other perceptions will vary.

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vpgemini

14 years ago

I would presume that a coach will give you more of a structure or course to follow and a mentor would actually guide you directly through this course to success....

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Steven Wagenheim 14 years ago

Elmer, I'm not going to give you my "definition" of each but after this thread
gets to be 5 pages long, look at all the different ideas of what each is.

And therein lies the problem.

The two have been used interchangeably so much that, quite honestly, I
don't even know what the difference is...if any.

Both to me imply "I will personally help you."

Now, what each person expects from that help is going to vary from person
to person, regardless of what term you use.

That is why, when somebody comes to me for coaching/mentoring or
whatever you want to call it, I specifically ask them...

"What exactly is it that you're looking for?"

If I can't give them what they want, I tell them.

It's that simple.

Whatever you want to call it, and this is just my personal opinion, be
upfront about what you're offering.

That way, there is NO confusion about what the person is going to get.
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Frank Donovan 14 years ago

In my mind, the crucial difference between the two is that the mentor either still is, or has been, personally engaged in the activity being mentored. So, for example, a more experienced co-worker could be your mentor. Or someone retired from that position and able to offer real-world experience and advice.

A coach, I see as a professional appointment. Someone employed to hold you accountable and ensure that you achieve your agreed goals. The coach might have achieved himself exactly what you're aiming for, but that wouldn't be an absolute requirement. Think about tennis or football coaches, for example. They don't need to have been champions themselves (or even have played the sport professionally) to be effective.

Frank
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Ken Leatherman

14 years ago

Elmer,

Here in the states the Small Business Association and other business organizations offer to put a new business owner or someone looking to start a business in contact with a mentor.

The mentor is there to give real world experience advice from someone who has been there and done that or perhaps still doing it. However, the decisions and actual work done is left up to the party receiving the mentoring.

A coach to me is someone that will teach me the basics, correct where I'm going wrong, motivate when I lose motivation and kick my butt when I'm not pulling my weight. And hold me responsible not only to myself but to others who I directly affect with my actions or lack of actions.

Ken Leatherman

The Old Geezer

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Dennis Gaskill

14 years ago

There have been some good definitions already. Blues Squares and Frank Donovan have represented my personal view of the differences quite well. I would only add that with a coach, you'd need a direct relationship with them; but a person can have a mentor without a direct relationship. You can follow someone you admire, learn from them and even emulate them without knowing them personally. This could be considered a form of mentorship if you think of them as a mentor. I have my own mentors in this regard, and I know others who do as well.

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Tom B Banned 14 years ago

Elmer, I don't like to be called coach or mentor anymore. I am asking people to call me "Prophet" instead.
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- Steven Wagenheim 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Thomas Belknap
  
  Elmer, I don't like to be called coach or mentor anymore. I am asking people to call me "Prophet" instead.
  
  And here I thought you liked being called "Sir Cue Ball"
  
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  Dennis Gaskill 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim
  
  And here I thought you liked being called "Sir Cue Ball"
  
  That's only for close friends and scalp polish salesmen.
  
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  Just when you think you've got it all figured out, someone changes the rules.
  
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  Tom B Banned 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim
  
  And here I thought you liked being called "Sir Cue Ball"
  
  Different niche, Steven.
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  Steven Wagenheim 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Thomas Belknap
  
  Different niche, Steven.
  
  Ah...do you have an affiliate program for it?
  
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Zeus66

14 years ago

Coach = Gives you the playbook, the X's and O's. It's your job to go out and execute.

Mentor = More personal attention. Overlaps with a coach's responsibilities in many ways, but also tends to take a more personal interest and over a longer period of time in seeing you succeed.

Prophet = Slick-headed chrome dome whose words are not to be second-guessed. Ever. If you know what's good for you.

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tpw 14 years ago

Originally Posted by Zeus66

Prophet = Slick-headed chrome dome whose words are not to be second-guessed. Ever. If you know what's good for you.

Oh, you mean someone like you...

Or me, every few months, when I shave my head to piss off my wife?
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- Zeus66 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by tpw
  
  Oh, you mean someone like you...
  
  Or me, every few months, when I shave my head to piss off my wife?
  
  Well, I meant Thomas and myself, but you can join the club if you keep all that nasty hair off full-time. Your call.
  
  Thanks
  
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Gemini9

14 years ago

I understand the coaching is more structured and formal, possibly with set rules and guidelines. Information tends to flow mostly from the coach to the one being coach.

Mentoring is much more informal, a lot ideas flowing each way, though of course the mentor has more experience or knowledge on the matter.

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Elmer Hurlstone 14 years ago

Interesting opinions and perceptions so far.

Just for grins I decided to check out the "Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary" definitions for the two terms.

mentor (noun): an experienced person who advises and helps sb with less experience over a period of time

coach (noun): a person who gives private lessons to sb, often to prepare them for an exam (this is the 2nd def; first is sports related)
(verb): to train sb to play a sport, do a job better, or to improve a skill

As we know, mastery of that continuously moving target, the English language, is difficult.

One of the more interesting perceptions is that one can be an unbeknownst mentor.

So based on the input thus far which has greater value - assuming a service is offered and paid for - a "coach" who provides specific, by-the-numbers, direction or; a "mentor" providing general guidance?

Elmer
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Andyhenry

14 years ago

I've trained as a life coach and in that niche coaching ALWAYS means NOT giving advice.

Coaching is a supportive process where you ask questions and coax the answers out of the person and help them think about what they want to achieve and get them to decide how best to do it.

In other niches it means different things - obviously football coaches are directive and give specific instructions so many IM 'coaches' use that as their reference - but it's not what a 'coach' would do in most other business senses.

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christopher jon

14 years ago

Don't want to draw a fine line between the two since there is always grey area but I break it down like this...

Mentoring = giving advice and a helping hand when needed. Typically free advice given by somebody who knows what they are talking about. Your grandfather is a mentor. Old college professors can be mentors. Helpful people on this forum can be mentors.

Coaching = Giving direction, training and step by step instructions. Usually costs money. Tony Robbins is a coach. Don Shula is the greatest coach of all time

However, I think both words aren't really used exclusively and are interchangeable.

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PPC-Coach

14 years ago

Lots of really good viewpoints on the topic. I agree with most of them. To me a coach is a paid person who provides support, answers your questions and guides you down the right path. If you get stuck, you ask them questions. If you get into a funk, they try to get you out of it.

A mentor is more of a non-paid relationship where someone takes you under their wing for free. They do alot of what a coach would do, but they're not being paid monetarily for it. (They get paid by the karma they get for giving back for free).

Not everyone needs a coach or a mentor and not everyone can work with one as it is a two way street. If you fail to utilize the one you have you're wasting your time and theirs.

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Shaun OReilly

14 years ago

I trained as a coach back in June 2000 in the UK and
the terms coach and mentor are defined differently in
the UK compared to say the US.

In the UK...

A Coach

A coach is someone who helps the coachee achieve their
objectives primarily by asking questions and providing
feedback. A coach does not provide answers or give
advice.

In this context, a coach doesn't need to have direct
experience in the area they're coaching the other person
in (daft as it sounds). In fact, sometimes it can prove
to be a hinderance as the coach assumes they know best
and they project their thoughts and direction onto the
coachee. This can hinder progress and decrease the
resourcefulness of the coachee.

A Mentor

A mentor is someone with vast experience in the given
area and is there to provide answers to the mentee to
help them achieve their outcomes more quickly.

A mentor is different from a coach (in UK terms) in that
a mentor provides expertise and advice whereas a coach
listens to the coachee and helps them find their own
answers and resources to solve their own problems.

These definitions may seem alien to some and are not
widely recognized outside UK coaching and mentoring
organizations.

Dedicated to your success,

Shaun

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Andyhenry

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Shaun OReilly

I trained as a coach back in June 2000 in the UK and
the terms coach and mentor are defined differently in
the UK compared to say the US.

In the UK...

A Coach

A coach is someone who helps the coachee achieve their
objectives primarily by asking questions and providing
feedback. A coach does not provide answers or give
advice.

In this context, a coach doesn't need to have direct
experience in the area they're coaching the other person
in (daft as it sounds). In fact, sometimes it can prove
to be a hinderance as the coach assumes they know best
and they project their thoughts and direction onto the
coachee. This can hinder progress and decrease the
resourcefulness of the coachee.

A Mentor

A mentor is someone with vast experience in the given
area and is there to provide answers to the mentee to
help them achieve their outcomes more quickly.

A mentor is different from a coach (in UK terms) in that
a mentor provides expertise and advice whereas a coach
listens to the coachee and helps them find their own
answers and resources to solve their own problems.

These definitions may seem alien to some and are not
widely recognized outside UK coaching and mentoring
organizations.

Dedicated to your success,

Shaun

Oh - it's a UK thing

That is exactly how I see the terms used.

I sometimes mentor managers - it's not free

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Michael Mayo

14 years ago

Prophet = Slick-headed chrome dome whose words are not to be second-guessed. Ever. If you know what's good for you

Did someone call?

Have a Great Day!
Michael

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Jill Carpenter

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Elmer Hurlstone

What does one term imply, or do you infer, opposed to the other?

Should the "service" provided by someone offering "coaching" be different to the "service" provided by someone offering "mentoring"?

How do you see it?

Elmer

Mentors to me can be living or dead.

Coaches to me do more poking and prodding (and are definitely living) dig into my personal business from every nook and cranny to find where things can be fixed and refined while mentors are more like the real definition of "guru" where they are there to learn from like a teacher but may not give you the exact answers you need.

This is just my personal perception. But I could easily be accused of combining the two words as the same thing from time to time.

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Mentoring v. Coaching: Is there a difference?

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