What is coaching and mentoring?

Coaching and mentoring are development approaches based on the use of one-to-one conversations to enhance an individual’s skills, knowledge or work performance.

Coaching aims to produce optimal performance and improvement at work. It focuses on specific skills and goals, although it may also have an impact on an individual’s personal attributes such as social interaction or confidence. The process typically lasts for a defined timeframe, typically 4-6 months.

Mentoring in the workplace tends to describe a relationship in which a more experienced colleague shares their greater knowledge to support the development of an inexperienced member of staff. It calls on the skills of questioning, listening, clarifying and reframing that are also associated with coaching. These relationships tend to be longer term than coaching arrangements.

What are the benefits of coaching and mentoring?

Having a coach or mentor allows you to:

• Explore on a one-to-one basis with a coach/mentor to identify personal goals
• Creates a safe place to gain perspective of the current position and create actions to reach personal goals
• Take greater responsibility and accountability for actions and commitments
• Access a dedicated resource to provide support and guidance through the coaching/mentoring relationship

Coaching and mentoring are flexible as they allow both the coach and coachee to meet regularly fitting in with workload commitments.