Successful leaders and individuals rarely, if ever, achieve success by themselves. They don’t just surround themselves with great teams, but also have coaches or mentors working with them, especially through uncertain times.
With Covid-19 creating not just an uncertainty but a situation none of us in business have ever dealt with before, who is more appropriate to help navigate the next 6 months, a mentor or a coach? The benefit of each is rarely disputed but there is a lot of confusion between the two and the difference is often misunderstood.
Mentor Vs Coach
A mentor is someone who has done what you want to do and has experience travelling the road you are travelling. And because they have been there before you this can be beneficial if you want someone to advise and tell you what to do in a specific area.
A coach, on the other hand, will ask questions to get you thinking, act as a sounding board and guide you to be the best you can be and find the best solutions. A coach is a partner who helps you see clearly, make better decisions, clarify any mist or confusion and become self-aware and accountable. It is far more powerful because when you find the answer to a problem, clarify your goals and how to there, figure out how to be the best you can be, you start to take greater ownership and grow
So, do you need a coach, or do you need a mentor?
Both are valid options and it really comes down to what is it that you want to achieve. If you just want someone to tell you what to do next within a specific area, then a mentor may be the go.
If you’re looking for someone to help you achieve the things in work and life and you want to achieve, help you achieve your goals, and be the best you can be having a coach is the go.
A preference for mentoring or coaching
I’ve had both in my life and I’ve always found a coach far more effective because when I figure out what to do, I become accountable to myself and get stuff done. Which is also why I choose to work as a coach more than a mentor
With Covid-19 no-one really knows what to expect or has been through it before you and so in times of uncertainty like these, perhaps a coach is the better path to help you find clarity, bounce ideas around and work with you.
Find out how a coach can help
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