What Coaching is not: Coaching Vs Mentoring

We must go Digital. I am great at Strategy. My boss has been Coaching me.

Digital. Strategy. Coaching. Three words that mean so many different things to different people. If I ask you to define what Digital, Strategy and Coaching mean to you – of course, you will have an answer. And then if I ask the next person, they too will have one. There are so many versions of the truth that it becomes difficult to really understand what these subjects and topics are about.

For today, I hope to help you decode the world of Coaching. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines Coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership.”

The first word in this definition PARTNERING is a really important one. Especially when it comes to trying to understand the difference between Coaching, Mentoring or Teaching and Training. When a Coach partners a client, the visual image that comes alive for me is of two equals working together. That’s what partners are, equals on a journey together… as the word suggests.

Mentoring involves somebody with deep expertise, typically much more experience than the person being mentored, sharing his or her knowledge in order to help and support the mentee. The wisdom of this Mentor can be of immense help to someone who for example is looking for advice on how to avoid pitfalls in a path that has been walked before.

Coaching on the other hand helps a client see things that they had not seen before, using a different approach. Our lives are so busy today, people rarely pause and listen to themselves. A Coach creates a safe space for a client to explore their own minds. And through a conversation between two people, focused entirely on one person (the client) the coach supports the client to allow solutions to emerge in a “thought-provoking” and “creative” way.

Go get yourself a Coach. Get yourself a Mentor too. Just know that they are different and will play different roles in your life journey.