A mentor is, generally, a specialist with experience in a specific field or role who teaches his mentees by sharing best practices in the particular work. A coach is more an expert on personal potential development and motivation. He focuses both on professional and personal development of his coachees. He helps them to precisely define their goals and meet them more quickly and efficiently. He does not say what they should do. He uses questions to help them find out independently.
When instructions from one’s mentor differ from instructions given by one's coach, an awkward predicament arises. Such cases of over-supportive working teams sometimes occur. Especially when mentor and coach do not communicate properly, the mentee may feel restricted and under constant scrutiny. This leads to a sense of lack of freedom and no chance to develop at one's own individual pace. According to an article on the leadingeffectively.com website, even if the two advisors do communicate, it still might not be enough: there was the case of a manager whose mentor and coach did meet in order to discuss his further development needs … but they didn’t invite the manager to the meeting!
In companies where there is mentoring, there is usually a coaching provision already operating as well. Coaching is about immediate issues; current difficulties are to be dealt with and resolved. The core of mentoring is to help the mentee with issues and problems that may not be currently present. The mentor attempts to prepare the mentee for issues that could arise in the future.
Coaching and mentoring overlap
It is true that the prime objective of mentoring is to prepare its subject for his or her new role. New skills and new knowledge have to be acquired. But at the same time there are current pressures and performance targets to be met today. Therefore mentors can no longer focus only on preparations for the future; they also have to help with performance here and right now – meaning that to some extent they also have to become coaches.
Mentors as coaches
Experience of The Center for Creative Leadership shows that mentors today are aware of the need to develop coaching skills in order to help their mentees to develop. There is a general understanding that coaching and mentoring complement each other and that neither set of skills alone is enough for successful development. It is, therefore, not always good to separate the roles of coach and mentor: a mentor can do both, although it should not be forgotten that the role of mentor does have certain limits.
Do you have experience with overlapping roles of mentors and coaches in your company?
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