How can you improve your training delivery with coaching and mentoring?

1 What is coaching and mentoring?

Coaching and mentoring are both forms of learning interventions that involve a more experienced or skilled person (the coach or mentor) helping a less experienced or skilled person (the coachee or mentee) to achieve their goals, overcome challenges, and develop their potential. However, they are not the same thing. Coaching is usually a short-term, goal-oriented, and performance-focused relationship that helps the coachee improve a specific skill or behavior. Mentoring is usually a long-term, holistic, and development-focused relationship that helps the mentee grow as a professional and a person. Both coaching and mentoring can be formal or informal, depending on the structure, frequency, and purpose of the interaction.

2 Why use coaching and mentoring in training delivery?

Coaching and mentoring can enhance your training delivery in several ways. First, they can help you assess the needs, preferences, and readiness of your learners before the training, and tailor your content and methods accordingly. Second, they can help you create a supportive and interactive learning environment during the training, where you can provide feedback, encouragement, and guidance to your learners. Third, they can help you reinforce and sustain the learning outcomes after the training, by helping your learners apply, practice, and reflect on what they learned. Coaching and mentoring can also help you build rapport, trust, and engagement with your learners, and foster a culture of continuous learning in your organization.

3 How to use coaching in training delivery?

Coaching can be an effective tool for helping learners achieve their learning objectives and improve their performance in training. Before the training, coaches should use open-ended questions and active listening to identify learners' goals, expectations, and challenges. During the training, coaches should use questioning, probing, and paraphrasing to facilitate learning and elicit responses. They should also provide constructive feedback to help learners improve their skills and behaviors. After the training, coaches should follow up with learners to review their progress and achievements. Coaches can use action plans, SMART goals, and self-assessments to help learners set realistic targets and monitor their performance. Additionally, coaches should support learners as they overcome any obstacles or difficulties they may encounter and celebrate their successes.

4 How to use mentoring in training delivery?

Mentoring can be used in conjunction with coaching to help your learners develop their professional and personal competencies and aspirations. To use mentoring effectively in your training delivery, you should first establish a mentoring relationship with your learners based on mutual trust, respect, and commitment. During the training, you should share your knowledge and experience with your learners as a role model and guide. You should also help them explore their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Once the training is finished, maintain regular contact with your learners to provide ongoing support, advice, and feedback. Additionally, recognize their achievements and contributions, and encourage them to mentor others.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?