Mentoring vs. coaching: what is the difference? 

Many people are not clear about the difference between the coaching process and mentoring. Although at first glance similar, in reality the two processes are very different. In coaching, the coach does not need to be an expert in his or her client's field, only in how to get the most out of them. Solutions are almost entirely invented by the client. Mentoring, on the other hand, requires the mentor to be an expert in the area of interest to the mentee, to share his or her own experience and thus help the mentee to develop and grow. 

What other important differences are there between the two processes? 

• A mentor is both an adviser and a guide, while a coach does not give specific advice but helps the client along the way by asking targeted questions
• Mentoring usually lasts longer than 6 months, whereas the coaching process is rarely longer than 6 months
• While coaching is based on a set process, mentoring is less structured - but it is still worth setting an agenda.

The most common mentoring models

One-on-one or traditional model

This is the set-up that most people first think of when mentoring. So you have a usually older, more experienced manager or entrepreneur helping a less experienced up-and-coming employee, or perhaps another entrepreneur.

Group mentoring 

It involves one (or more) mentors working with a whole team. It is usually used where there are no resources or time for the traditional model: in schools or youth clubs, it is a common form of mentoring.

Peer mentoring

In this case, people with similar experience in broadly the same role, field or department are paired up to support each other in developing their work or business. They share experience and support each other.

Reverse mentoring

In this case, both parties benefit equally from the mentoring process. The younger, lower-ranking, talented employee helps the more experienced one to introduce and understand a new technology, for example, and in return he or she learns about the managerial thinking and the reasons behind the decisions. Another benefit is that the manager also gets a better insight into the viewpoints of the junior staff and gains access to information. 

Speed mentoring 

This form of mentoring, which is most reminiscent of a lightning date, usually takes place at a company event or conference. In this case, the mentored person has a short dialogue with different mentors and then moves on. Mentored people are usually prepared in advance with questions to discuss with more experienced people.

How to find a mentor? 

The above may already show the huge impact on personal and business development that can result from finding a mentor who can truly be a role model. But finding a mentor is not so easy. How to get started?

• Let's see if mentoring programmes are available in our area! Although most mentoring programmes are linked to the alumni network of higher education institutions, more and more professional and entrepreneurial organisations are now offering this type of service.
• Ask your HR manager or HR manager at work! It's a good idea to prepare for the meeting in advance and outline exactly what you want to achieve and what qualities you want in a mentor.
• List 10 people who could be your mentor in something. It's worth thinking about what you like about what they do or how they do it, and what exactly you want to learn from them. 
• Let's discuss the issue with a colleague or friend! Think about whether there is someone in your circle of friends who could be a mentor. It is always worth thinking about someone you already know.

Is our supervisor a good choice? 

If your goal is career development, your boss may not be a good choice. Because long-term career goals may be the same, he may not pass on the right knowledge or give advice that suits his goals

Can someone have more mentors? 

Of course! We can have a mentor for public speaking or writing and of course business development, leadership development.

Mentoring in project management

The use of mentoring in programme and project management is considered a best practice. This is based on the growing number of project-based organisations where there are more opportunities than ever to become a programme and project manager. According to PMI, developing mentoring relationships is a management criterion, as mentoring provides a valuable contribution to the performance of team members. The same applies to project management, where the mentor: 

• Provides guidance on how your mentor can make better progress in their career, offering specific courses and training
• Suggest professional associations, help with books, articles to read, webinars, seminars and conferences to attend
• Helps you to understand the informal networks and influences within the organisation and how the mentored person can use them to their advantage
• Provide advice and feedback on the work to be done/performed and on risk and problem management

In the field of project management, there are a number of setups that can help a team member to perform better and thus achieve better project results.

• Project manager and team member: Developing different preferred behaviours, problem solving, feedback on methods used, keeping a problem log which will become part of the knowledge base, developing consistency and clear communication
• PMO and project manager or team member: a PMO can access logs of experience from previous projects, which in themselves can provide guidance on how to deal with specific problems
• Functional manager and team member: for complex projects, the functional manager can advise on any technical problems that may arise
• External expert and team member: for example, an external risk management expert can better identify the potential risks of the project, help you analyse them, create a risk management plan and determine when to put this plan into action
• External external manager and project manager: the mentored person can express his/her opinion about what is happening in his/her organisation, and the mentor can share his/her experience of what is happening in his/her organisation, and present a different perspective to the project manager

Summary

Mentoring is therefore always between an experienced person with a high level of expertise and a less experienced colleague or other entrepreneur. The most important element is that the mentor is able to give advice and is willing to share his or her knowledge and experience with the mentee. There are now many forms of mentoring, and fortunately it is becoming more and more common in our country.

Mentoring can also be found in the field of project management, mentoring is one of the management competences that has a positive impact on the performance of staff and therefore on project results. 

Have a question? Contact us! 

Are you unsure about what form of support could solve your problems? Read more about our coaching services here, or contact us!