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The differences between executive coaching and mentoring | FAQs
Executive mentoring and coaching are often mistaken to be a similar field or industry, when in fact they differ quite a lot:
- Mentoring is an ongoing relationship, whereas a coaching relationship generally has a set duration
- Mentoring is informal, while coaching tends to be more structured in nature with meetings scheduled on a regular basis
- Mentoring focuses on career growth and personal development and coaching on development and organisational efficiency
- A mentor is generally a senior person in the mentee’s organisation or someone who can pass on knowledge and experience. A coach need not have direct experience of a person’s organisation or role
If you’re trying to decide whether your skill set or passion fits into a mentoring or coaching role, then watch this short video in which Dale Williams, Head Tutor on the UCT Foundations of Executive Coaching online short course, explains the distinction between mentoring and coaching.
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