Reference no: EM132628466

Coaches tend to have expertise in working with people, particularly to help them develop in a specific area. They are often skilled in the area in which they coach. For example, most NBA coaches are former NBA basketball players; most NFL coaches previously played in the NFL. Is coaching superior to mentoring or is mentoring superior to coaching? What advice can you give on coaching vs mentoring.

Organizations can benefit from the utilization of coaches and mentors. Coaches and mentors can support the development of employees within a company. Each role requires the coach or mentor to have good listening skills, the ability to develop a relationship, agreement of confidentiality, deliver and seek feedback, as well as evaluate results (McCauley, 2007; Passmore, 2007). These attributes are crucial for both the coach and the mentor.

The role of the coach and mentor has many similarities; however, the functions offer different development opportunities for individuals who receive their services. According to Passmore (2007), coaching seeks enhancement of leader personal performance through interventions by a coach in areas of behavior, motivation, and cognition resulting in skill development. A coach accomplishes this by asking questions to stimulate thought from the coachee. Coaches build relationships with the coachee to provide support and direction to help the coachee identify and solve their own problems. The coach could be outside of the particular industry and organization, though not always, from the coachee, and is usually a paid position.

In contrast, mentors typically reside within the organization or profession, is an unpaid position, and has specific industry knowledge (Battley, 2006). Mentors help mentees by providing direct input and direction specific to the questions they are asked. Mentoring is a way to transfer knowledge, promote best practices for the industry, to help the mentee grow and get up to speed quickly (McCauley, 2007). Mentoring new employees can provide a company with a pathway for new employees to develop faster.

Coaches and mentors provide equal value to organizations; there should not be an either-or within a company. Individuals, as leaders, can have both mentors and coaches to help with their growth and development. There are times when a leader needs to coach that ask the difficult questions, and provide unbiased feedback; other times, a mentor to provide direction or a strategy to employ.