What is the difference between coaching & mentorship and which one do you need?

Coaching and mentoring both exist for the same purpose – to help others grow, develop and reach their full potential. There are, however, a few slight differences between the two and it is thus important to understand which best fits you and your business. For starters, coaching measures a number of performance criteria to determine progress, whilst mentorship takes a holistic approach in offering guidance based on the mentor’s acquired knowledge and experience.

Now, with all that said, how do you know which one is right for you? That all depends on your goals and expectations.

When should you consider coaching?

• When you are performance-driven and have set outcomes you would like to achieve in the short term.
• When you or your organisation are traditionally more structured and require someone who will interact accordingly.
• When you are coping with large-scale change that requires professional knowledge.
• When you would like to develop raw talent with a specific new skill.

When should you consider mentorship?

• When you have the goal of long-term improvement that is development-driven and focuses not only on the growth of current criteria but future growth as well.
• When you require a bit of flexibility and informality in the way things are dealt with.
• When you have the goal of enhancing individual or organisational leadership.

Starting and building a business is a long and demanding journey, requiring a lot of time, effort and resources. Having someone in your corner who understands this makes things much easier. Understanding how a coach or a mentor could help you can greatly increase your chances of success by ensuring that you acquire knowledge and skills from an individual who understands the journey and what is required from it.

Source: Zust, C. (2017, July 5). Know the Difference Between Coaching and Mentoring. Retrieved from http://kent.edu/yourtrainingpartner/know-difference-between-coaching-and-mentoring