What is the Difference Between Mentoring & Coaching?

The New NP Mentor (NNMP) Program is mentoring with coaching woven in. This develops the new NPs non-clinical skills and supports personal and professional development that enables thriving during the role transition.

The NNMP group setting with separate 1:1 sessions is ideal for comradery, growth, and tailoring to each NP’s needs while keeping it more economical than strictly 1:1s. 

Coaches and mentors can be selected to work with professionals based on their industry expertise, position expertise, skill set or other valuable expertise that can enhance a professional’s life. The best way to understand how coaching and mentoring relationships are structured is to do a side-by-side comparison:

Topic

Coaching

Mentoring

Timeframe

Relationship is more likely to be short-term (up to 6 months or 1 year) with a specific outcome in mind. However, some coaching relationships can last longer, depending on goals achieved.

Relationship tends to be more long-term, lasting a year+ (NNMP initial intense program is 3 months, then there is a continuing program) 

Focus

Coaching is more performance driven, designed to improve the professional’s on-the-job performance.

Mentoring is more development driven, looking not just at the professional’s current job function but beyond, taking a more holistic approach to career development.

Structure

Traditionally more structured, with regularly scheduled meetings, like weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

Generally meetings tend to be more informal, on an as needed basis required by the mentee. (PRN for 1:1 with NNPM, scheduled for groups)

Expertise

Coaches are hired for their expertise in a given area, one in which the coachee desires improvement. Examples: Presentation skills, leadership, interpersonal communication, sales.

Within organization mentoring programs, mentors have more seniority and expertise in a specific area than mentees. The mentee learns from and is inspired by the mentor’s experience.

Agenda

The coaching agenda is co-created by the coach and the coachee in order to meet the specific needs of the coachee.

The mentoring agenda is set by the mentee. The mentor supports that agenda. (for 1:1, but set by NNM for group)

Questioning

Asking thought-provoking questions is a top tool of the coach, which helps the coachee make important decisions, recognize behavioral changes and take action.

In the mentoring relationship, the mentee is more likely to ask more questions, tapping into the mentor’s expertise.

Outcome

Outcome from a coaching agreement is specific and measurable, showing signs of improvement or positive change in the desired performance area.

Outcome from a mentoring relationship can shift and change over time. There is less interest in specific, measurable results or changed behavior and more interest in the overall development of the mentee.

When to Use a Coach

  1. Develop raw talent with a specific new skill
  2. Enhance the experienced professional with a new or refreshed skill
  3. Help individuals who are not meeting expectations or goals
  4. Assist in coping with large-scale change through a merger or acquisition, like managing new “blended” work teams and adapting to the merging of company cultures
  5. Prepare a professional for advancement in the organization
  6. Improve behavior in a short period of time

 

When to Use a Mentor

  1. Motivate talented professionals to focus on their career/life development
  2. Inspire individuals to see what is possible in their career/life
  3. Enhance the professional’s leadership development
  4. Transfer knowledge from senior to junior professionals
  5. Broaden intercultural or cross-cultural ties within the organization
  6. Use the mentoring process as an entrée to succession planning

Choices

When deciding whether to use a coach or a mentor, consider the goal you wish to achieve. The coach and the mentor will help professionals in different ways to accomplish their goals. In fact, some professionals use multiple coaches or multiple mentors throughout their careers, depending on their desired goals. In both coaching and mentoring, trust, respect and confidentiality are at the forefront of the relationship.   

As you delve deeper into working with a coach or a mentor, consider these final tips:

  • Decide what assistance you need.  When you decide what you need then find an appropriate coach or mentor.
  • Trust and respect your coach or mentor. Every meaningful relationship is built on the foundation of trust and respect. You must trust your coach or mentor to provide you with expert guidance, feedback and support, based on his/her life experiences. Respect his/her opinions and ideas for the same reason because your coach or mentor has lived through challenges that you may not have yet experienced. 
  • Establish ground rules. Determine how often you will meet, how long your relationship will last, outline of roles, importance of confidentiality and preferred methods of communication and feedback. (NNMP weekly virtual sessions with self scheduled 1:1s)
  • Determine your outcome. What do you want to have happen to you at the end of the relationship? Discuss this with your coach or mentor.
  • Open your mind and heart. Learning from someone who has more experience than you do and who can share successes and failures openly is a tremendous gift. The key to getting the most out of the relationship is your ability to enter into the relationship with as open a mind and heart as possible. Don’t be judgmental or too hasty in your decisions. Expect the unexpected.

As you can see, being involved in a coaching or mentoring relationship can enhance your professional and personal life in ways that you could not achieve on your own. Keep your mind open to the possibilities. When you have been coached and mentored, then you can pay it forward by coaching or mentoring others. Take what you have learned and pass it along to those who can benefit from your knowledge and experience.

Adapted from Kent State University, Kristine Zust. https://www.kent.edu/yourtrainingpartner/know-difference-between-coaching-and-mentoring