The document outlines the key differences between coaching and mentoring, emphasizing that coaching is short-term, task-oriented, and focused on skill development, while mentoring is long-term, relationship-oriented, and aims for personal and professional transformation. It highlights that coaches have a monetary incentive and a one-way knowledge transfer approach, whereas mentors are volunteer-based, fostering two-way relationships with broader perspectives. Pathway Group is accredited to deliver coaching and mentoring qualifications and offers training to enhance workplace coaching skills.

1. What is the difference between
coaching and mentoring?
A business presentation from Pathway

2. Qualified to deliver
• Pathway group are accredited with ILM
Awarding body to deliver the ILM Level 3
certificate in Coaching and Mentoring
qualification.
• We work with a number of businesses to train
their staff to deliver coaching in the workplace
Talk to one of our business advisors on 0121 707 0550

3. Coaching is fundamentally…
• Short-term
• Task oriented
• A coach focuses on professional development
around tangible skills or knowledge areas
• The relationship between the coach and the
coachee is not essential – just the coach’s
credentials
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4. Mentoring is fundamentally…
• Long-term
• Relationship oriented
• A mentor focuses on the transformation and management of the
individual, including both professional and personal life
• It is not essential for a mentor to understand
the facets of each task
• They are not teaching, but facilitating
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5. Teachers are an example of both
There are distinct differences between coaches
and mentors.
A teacher is a unique combination of the two
and a great example for presenting differences.
They focus on the short-term support to develop
understanding, but also long-term support
across a child’s years at school to maintain or
transform their behavior and achievements.
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6. The Fundamental Differences
Of which we count six…

7. What its driving force is - coaching
• The driving force of coaching is the
need to acquire knowledge and improve
ROI for the individual
• Once this had been delivered, the
coaching can stop.
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8. What its driving force is - mentoring
• Mentoring is driven by a desire to develop for the
future
• It is harder to quantify, and as it is focused on
relationships, difficult to measure
• Observing change requires a long time – an
immediate ROI or similar cannot drive mentoring
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9. The distance between management - coaching
• As the purpose of the coach is to improve the
skillset or knowledge of the individual,
management need to understand the effect
coaching is having
• It is necessary for a coach to feed back to
management about progress – and by extension
the coach’s value
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10. The distance between management - mentoring
• Discussions with mentors should be
confidential to allow a ‘safe space’ in
which to air concerns
• This distance means that an employee
can discuss their barriers without
worrying about affecting their
employment, prospects or politics
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11. It’s about money - coaching
• Ultimately, a coach has the incentive of a reward
• External coaches are paid for their services, and
may need referrals for more work
• Internal coaches may be rewarded with an
increase in responsibility (and pay), or put them
closer to a promotion. They will see a benefit to
their immediate workflow with a coached team.
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12. It’s not about money - mentoring
• A mentor is never paid for mentoring
• Losing this connection means that the mentor
does the work with definite intentions that
money won’t touch
• Their performance is not linked, and this
delivers an objectivity that is lost with coaching
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3

13. Idea focused - coaching
• A coach should be well informed on what they are
coaching, and will come with the intention of
spreading that knowledge
• They do not need consideration for how the idea
ties in to the business – only that the individuals
can achieve it
• Coaching can be used as a ‘quick-fix’ if remedial
learning is required or a job is on the line
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4

14. Business focused - mentoring
• A mentor will almost always be from within the
business, and will understand the business’s
history, context and workings.
• A mentor may oversee many employees, allowing
individuals to benefit from that network.
• A mentor cannot be used as a quick-fix and cannot
influence business decisions in the short-term.
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4

15. How they change culture - coaching
• Coaching can be an intense way of learning
but is not great at changing culture
• An understanding of new ideas can come
quickly, but a change in behavior or
consideration needs time and frequent
experiences to maintain
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16. How they change culture - mentoring
• Changing culture is best done with a mentor as they have
access to a lot of staff over a long period of time
• The relationship focus lends better to changing culture
• The mentor may even be changed
by those they oversee
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5

17. Coaching is one-way
• The focus is on developing the client
i.e the skills of the person being
coached – the majority of the learning
should be with the coached.
• The pathway of learning should be
one-directional, and can be done with
larger groups taught by an individual –
like a teacher in a classroom
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6

18. Mentoring is two-way
• A mentor is not a specialist in the job of each
individual – their role is relationship oriented and
allows both parties to benefit
• Many mentors comment that they have a renewed
sense of their own abilities and new perspectives
after mentoring
• A sense of identity within the company grows
with both parties
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19. The benefits of internal coaching
• Training to coach your colleagues
means your staff can develop the
skill of coaching from you
• A developing culture of coaching
means staff can benefit from
having to teach aspects of their
job – often improving their own
understanding of it
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20. Qualified to deliver
• Pathway group are accredited with ILM
Awarding body to deliver the ILM Level 3
certificate in Coaching and Mentoring
qualification.
• We work with a number of businesses to train
their staff to deliver coaching in the workplace
• This qualification can be funded via Advanced
Learning Loans system in England which is run
by the Student Loans Company for individuals
wishing to fund their own learning
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21. Make the most out of your staff with workplace coaching.
Why not contact one of our business advisors?
0121 707 0550
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