GET KNOWN NOW! THE FAST PATH TO BEING "KNOWN TO BE GREAT"
SMB's Needing Affordable Management, Now
GET KNOWN NOW! THE FAST PATH TO BEING "KNOWN TO BE GREAT"
SMB's Needing Affordable Management, Now
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I just spent three days with 50+ certified executive coaches and we clarified the definitions of coaching and related services provided to business professionals, from execs to up-and-comers. All to conform with official standards for coaching certification.
For example, coaching by definition does not include mentoring (i.e., advice giving). Whether you see coaching as a service for executives and/or coaching-for-all (the hot new trend) you have to be transparent with clients (coachees) as to the hat you are wearing at any point in time.
For example, coaching today uses a questioning concept called “Active Inquiry.” In a sentence you can generally define it as a “confidential discussion where the coach asks open-ended questions of the client with the goal of helping them gain ‘insight, clarity, and focus’ on issues that will help them make better decisions.”
Coaches don’t make decisions for their clients and generally don’t give advice. In a way it’s a little like a session with a therapist that wants the client to realize their own aha moments on challenging issues.
When mentoring is appropriate, it is generally a process where a highly experienced person shares their knowledge with a lessor experienced person to show/explain how to accomplish something. It can be advice, tips, techniques, instructions, and any suggestions that help them more quickly and efficiently decide or accomplish something.
Unfortunately, this is where the “advice monster” within us can run wild and can short circuit the coaching process. This happens when a coach-turned-mentor gives advice too soon, before fully understanding the client’s situation.
Bottomline, know what “hat” you’re wearing – coach or mentor -- when interacting with a client, and make it obvious to them when you turn the hat around. If you’re coaching, always start with Active Inquiry, as is the accepted standard practice. Then, move to mentoring on-request from the client (e.g., “Coach, how would you handle this?) or when the client is simply “stuck” and needs some new ideas.
There are some nuances here, of course, but in general, let the client know when you’re coaching and when you’re mentoring. Note – when your advice leads to a major client decision you also have liability issues to consider. My friend, lawyer and legal advisor (Jeff Parmet), pictured in this post with two hats, suggests that you end such advice with, “… but of course, the ultimate decision is always yours”.
I hope this distinction between coaching and mentoring was helpful, it was for me, even with decades of experience wearing both hats.
Note, if you’re a coach or coachee looking for one; and you want both coaching and mentoring you should view them more as an “advisor” than a coach. If you’re not an executive (yet), your advisor candidates are often called “leadership coaches” or “performance coaches” and having industry experience to match yours is a plus.