Mentoring And Coaching For Professionals

1. MentoringAndCoachingFor Professionals
In recentyearsthere hasbeena significantrise inthe demandformentorsand coaches.The driving
forcesbehindthisare:executives,managersandotherspecialistsare increasinglyexpectedto
demonstrate thattheyare undertakingsignificantprofessional development;the workplace and
businessemploymentenvironmentisbecomingevenmore competitive;the influence of the emerging
industrial nationsisforcingradical changesinthe skill mixrequiredof managersandotherprofessionals
inthe developedcountries;the diversityof personal andprofessional skills,knowledge,andexpertise
neededtobe successful intoday’sglobal businessenvironment.Asthisdemandhasincreased,sohas
the diversityof rolesplayedandthe range of servicesoffered.Indeed,thereare somanyvariationsand
combinationsof mentoringandcoaching,thatit isincreasinglydifficulttodifferentiate betweenthem
and almostimpossible tocategorize the variationsavailable.
Workplace mentoringis,despite appearances,astructured,organized,elementof the organization’s
traininganddevelopmentactivity.Itis,however,usuallyquiteseparate fromorganizedtraining
activitiesandfromthe formal appraisal processcarriedoutbythe line-manager.Thisformal,
hierarchical relationshipthatexistsbetweenapersonandtheirline-managerisusuallynotasuitable
vehicle foramentoringrelationship. Mentoringgenerallytakesthe formof aconfidential,one toone
relationship,whereamore seniorperson,atleastone positionhigherthanthe line-managerof the
personbeingmentored,helpsamore juniorone tomake progress,usuallyaspartof a planned
developmentprogram,suchas managementfast-tracking,preparingforamore seniorpost,or leadinga
phase of workplace activity,suchasa project.The mentoroffersguidance andadvice,inasupportive
and non-threateningmanner,butina formatand style whichisdesignedbythe organization’shuman
resource departmentand thenmonitoredbythatdepartment.The aimistoprovide the recipientwith
supportthat will enablethemtomove forwardconfidentlyandtoachieve theirpersonal workplace
objectivesandalsothe objectivessetforthembythe organization.
In an organizational setting,coachinghastraditionallybeenpartof the supervisoryroleplayedbyline-
managers,or more experiencedemployees,whoshow lessexperiencedcolleagueshow tocarryout an
activity,orsetof activities,competently.Thisisbydefault partof the cyclical processof developingan
individual’sskills,evaluatingtheirperformance,appraisingtheirprogress,carriedoutbythe line
manager.If the line managerdoesnotcarry outthe coachingpersonally,theywillhave arrangedforan
experiencedemployee,usuallywithinthe same teamasthe personbeingcoached,todeliverthe
coaching.In thiscontext, coachingis,ineffect,the teachingof askill until the skill islearntandcanbe
consistentlyperformed,independently,tothe requiredstandard.Althoughthe majorityof thistype of
coachingis deliveredbypeople whoare more experienced,itisnotalwaysthe case thattheyare more
senior.Often,becausethe coachis explainingordemonstratingaskill,orprocess,the coachcan be a
youngerperson,butsomeone whoiscapable of passingontheirskillstootherswhoare less
experiencedinthatactivity.
Today,the traditional rolesof mentorsandcoachescan still be seeninaction.However,inmany
organizations,andparticularlyinmostbusinesssectorsapartfromthe heavyindustriesand
manufacturing,there hasbeenconsiderable change.The mainchangeshave beeninthe wideningof the
range of coachingapproaches andthe mergingof mentoringandcoachingintoone approach,generally
underthe title of Coaching.Despite the besteffortsof some academicsandmanagementgurus,senior

2. managersinsome organizations,andthe humanresource purists,the termsmentorandcoaching,and
the roles,are now usedinterchangeablyinmanybusinesssectors.The mainreasonforthisisthat
individualsare demandingandexpectingtheirmentor-coachtohave awide range of skillsthat
encompassesthe bestfeaturesof bothcategories.Manyorganizationsare alsoestablishingmentor-
coachingsystemsthatalsocombine the bestpracticesof both.The resultisthat,increasingly,the terms
are ineffectsynonymous,andwhatone individual ororganizationwill label asMentor,anotherwill
label asCoach.
Also,manyindividualsare arrangingtoworkwith a personal coach,whose role isa combinationof
mentorand coach.This issimilartothe relationshipbetweenasportsperson,forexample athlete,and
theirpersonacoach,and that betweenindividualsandtheirpersonalfitnesstrainer.Inthe businessand
professionaldevelopmentworld,the resultisahybridof mentoringandcoachingthat mostpeople now
label asPersonal Coaching.
The ideal mentorisa personwhohas beentrainedin mentoringtechniques,andhasa blendof
appropriate workexperience,qualifications,andgeneral businessknowledge,thatcanbe usedtoguide
and advise aparticularmentee.Inadditionitisveryimportantthatthe mentorisa personwhohas an
enthusiasm,if notapassion,forhelpingotherstodevelop,fulfil theirpotential,andachievetheirand
the organization’sobjectives.
The ideal coach isa personwhohasbeentrained incoachingtechniques,hasabroad range of
experience andexpertise,hasknowledgeandunderstandingof currentbusinessactivityandtrends,and
an understandingof howanindividual’scareerandprofessional developmentshouldbe tailoredin
orderto assistthat personinbeingsuccessful inachievingtheirdevelopmentobjectives.
As can be seen,there greatsimilaritiesinthe tworoles,and,asa result,the differencesare virtually
indistinguishable andtheyare nowfrequentlycombined.Bothare expectedtohave appropriate
knowledge andexperience,bothmustbe skilledin:listeningactively;communicationtechniques;being
able to understandthe workandpersonal environmentof the personbeingcoached;buildingarapport
and developingarelationship;askingappropriatequestions;directingthe coachee toothersourcesof
helpwhenappropriate;identifying,agreeingandsettinggoals;helpingtodevise actionplanstoachieve
the goals;helpingtomonitorandmake adjustmentstothe plans;andfinally,knowingwhenitistime to
endthe relationship.
A coach workswithindividualsandorganizationstohelpthemtoachieve higherlevelsof performance
and-orspecificgoals.The coach will,bynecessity,take intoaccountpastperformance andevents,but
focusesonactionsand goalsfor the future.The approachisaction oriented,focusingonwhere the
clientisnow,where theywanttobe in the future,andhow bestto get themthere. Thisframeworkis
familiartothose involvedinstrategicplanningorprojectmanagement,asitisthe foundationof both.
The coach takesthissimple,structuredapproach,andbuildsonitto developaplanof actionthat will
enable themtohelptheirclientachieve theirobjectives.
For individuals,the benefitscanbe many,includinghelpingthe individual to:avoidmakingmistakesin
theirbusinessorpersonal lives;achieve more,inlesstime; minimize currentproblems;effectively

3. prepare forpotential difficulties;be happierwiththeirpersonal and-orworklife;achieve careeror
personal developmenttargets;change careerorcareerdirection;become more effectiveandinfluential
inall areas of theirlife;be more attractive toothers,intheircareerandprofessionaldevelopmentand-
or theirpersonal life.
For organizations,the benefitsare similar.Theyinclude:learningfromapersonwhohas a broad range
of knowledge;obtainingindependent,unbiased,objective,advice andguidance;gainingimprovements
to productivity,qualitylevels,customersatisfaction,shareholdervalue;gainingincreasedcommitment
and satisfactionlevelsinoperational andmanagementstaff;improvedstaff retention;supportingother
traininganddevelopmentactivity;visible evidence thatthe organizationiscommittedtodevelopingand
improving;establishinganeffective processfor organizational development.
The role of mentoringand coachinghaschangedradicallyoverrecentyears.However,the changesare
generallyacceptedasbeingpositiveones,andtodaycoachesare acceptedas an integral feature of the
developmentprocess,bothforindividualsandfororganizations.Asalways,greatcare mustbe takento
ensure thatthe coach andany processthat isundertakenisappropriate forthe particularclient,but
withthiscaveat,it isnowclear thatcoaches have an importantrole toplayin the developmentof
individualsandorganizationsintoday’sbusinessworld.Asthe pace of change and the complexityof
businessactivityincreases,itiscertainthatcoacheswill continue toplaya keyrole inhelpingindividuals
and organizationsmanage thatchange andcomplexitymore effectively.