In the Beginner’s Guide to Coaching Employees, we explored what coaching is and how to do it. To build on this, we’ll walk through the differences between coaching, training, and mentoring.
It’s important to know this, because as a manager, you’ll be expected to perform all three roles at the appropriate times, and to do them well.
Coaching versus Training
There are entire books and courses dedicated to fleshing out this topic, but this table highlights the key differences between training and coaching:
| Training | Coaching |
|---|---|
| Putting in | Pulling out |
| Planting the seed | Encourage growth |
| Pass on knowledge and skills | Facilitating self-learning |
| Often a one-off | Ongoing |
| Telling | Asking |
| Expert | May have no knowledge |
| Gives the answer | Solicits the answer |
| General | Tailored |
| Outside in | Inside out |
In a nutshell:
- Trainers lead and provide answers
- Coaches drill down to find the Coachee’s answers
Coaching versus Mentoring
It’s just as important to understand the difference between Coaching versus Mentoring as it is with Training versus Coaching.
Whereas a trainer and a coach are generally impartial and systematic roles, a mentor is more personal. A mentor is a trusted advisor, which can be defined as follows:
“Mentoring is a form of employee development whereby a trusted and respected person “the mentor” uses their experience to offer guidance, encouragement, career advice, and support to another person “the mentee”. The aim of mentoring is to facilitate the mentee’s learning and development and to enable them to discover more about their potential. Mentoring can occur informally or it can be arranged by means of an organisational program. “
Source:Bnet.co.uk
When it comes to mentoring, the mentor provides solutions and guidance. From their own experience, they advise the mentee on what they should do or how to approach a task, situation or career development. They’ll be experienced in the task or role they are mentoring on, and will often be seen as an expert and role model.
Where the mentor is trusted and has credibility, this clearly will be well received. The challenge is where there is little or no credibility between mentor and mentee. I can give someone the answer, but if I have little respect or experience, my answer may not be very helpful.
A mentor should use a coaching style when working through a challenge with a mentee. Using coaching questions first, to draw out what the mentee is considering before providing answers.
There is almost a ‘right of passage’ to becoming a mentor. First, you need to understand the differences between training, coaching, and mentoring. Second, you need to become skilled at all three.
Summary
Before any conversation with an employee, you need to consider which role you’ll be fulfilling – whether that be as coach, trainer, or mentor. You need to consider the needs of the circumstance as well as the needs of the individual. Think it through, choose an approach, and stick with it throughout the conversation.
This classic proverb sums up to me what being a coach is all about:
Give someone a fish, they’ll eat for a day. Teach them how to fish, they’ll eat for a lifetime
As a trainer, coach, and manager, people often just want an answer from me. The key is knowing what method works best, and that comes from experience. Along with skill development, you’re going to need willpower. Often, you’ll have to hold back from simply giving the answer, which can be much harder than it sounds.
You’re going to mess up sometimes, but be patient, I promise you’ll get better at choosing and executing the correct role. Keep at it!
This article was adapted from this one, published under Creative Commons License CC BY-SA 4.0
