Mentor or Coach

March 18, 2021

Mentor or Coach? Which type of support do you need?

I was surprised now many coaches were out there when I joined social media in 2019 – since qualifying in 2006 I’d met only a handful! Suddenly they were everywhere!

I quickly realised a lot of business coaches were actually ‘mentors’ – they were sharing the knowledge they’d gained on their business journey with others who wanted the same success

Mentoring & coaching are both super powerful in their own right, but which option is best for you? Here’s a breakdown of the differences between the two…

-A mentor shares information gained from their own experience – a coach asks questions to draw out the clients own knowledge

-A mentor offers answers & solutions – a coach guides you towards formulating your own solution

-A mentor may need to make judgements about certain things – a coach is non-judgemental

-A mentor often has more experience in their field than the clients so they can teach them what they’ve learnt – a coach needs none (see below)

-A mentor great for business growth – a coach great for your personal growth

As a life coach I helped my clients declutter their homes (I’m a minimalist), complete a triathlon (I can’t swim), go through the adoption process (I have no kids) & gain their doctorate (I don’t even have a degree)

As a business mentor I support those earlier on in business looking to learn from my experience over the last 2 years (bonus – they get a coach thrown in for free!)

Which could you & your business benefit from most right now – a mentor or a coach?