Navigating the Path to Professional Growth: Coaching versus mentoring

When I first stepped into journalism in the late 1980s, I was young, eager, but unpolished. It was the guidance of incredible coaches that honed my skills as a writer and reporter, setting the stage for my journey through the ranks of the newsroom. Along this path, some coaches transformed into mentors, while others were mentors from afar, offering insight without direct interaction.?

My journey illuminated a crucial distinction between coaching and mentoring, a distinction that can profoundly impact professional development. Coaching and mentoring, though often used interchangeably, serve unique roles in our career growth.

Coaching is task-oriented, focusing on concrete issues like performance and skills. Coaches are akin to expert trainers, providing feedback, setting goals, and offering techniques to improve specific areas of your work. My coaches have helped me identify specific issues and challenges in order to deal with them as needed.

Mentoring, on the other hand, is relationship-oriented. It's a longer journey where a mentor, possessing valuable experience and insights, offers guidance, support, and wisdom. Mentoring encompasses broader aspects of career development, including networking, navigating workplace dynamics, and personal growth. My mentors have helped me see beyond the immediate to highlight longer term career needs.

Coaching or Mentoring?

The choice between a coach or a mentor hinges on your current needs. Do you need to sharpen specific skills or address particular performance issues? Then look for a coach who can help within this defined, time-bound framework. But if you are looking for long-term career guidance, personal development, or navigating complex career transitions, then a mentor is your best option.

Do you need a mentor right now? Ask yourself these questions to determine if mentorship is what you need at this stage:

• Am I looking for guidance on the broader scope of my career?
• Do I feel lost or uncertain about my professional direction?
• Am I facing challenges that transcend day-to-day tasks?

If your answers lean towards 'yes', then a mentor could be your next step.

But mentorship is not without its challenges. To ensure a fruitful relationship, consider these factors. Avoid mismatched expectations: Ensure you and your mentor have clear, communicated expectations. If you are unable to commit your time and energy, then consider waiting until you can. You and your mentor must be committed to the process. Regular, honest communication is key to addressing issues and sharing progress in a mentorship relationship. Only you and your mentor can determine what is an adequate amount of communication.?

Choosing a Mentor

Consider how committed you are to this process today If someone is willing to give you their time, are you open to feedback even if it is uncomfortable? Can you commit time and effort to this relationship? A mentor can only guide you - the commitment to advance must come from you.

Looking back at my own career as reporter, news editor, editor and business owner, I know that the blend of coaching and mentoring I received was invaluable.?

If you are joining the? fraymedia Foundation’s Women Media Mentors (WMM) Programme in 2024 - or even committing to a mentoring path elsewhere - then I would urge: choose wisely, commit fully, and your journey will be enriched by the wisdom of those who have walked the path before you.

Women leaders willing to participate as mentors can sign up here: https://forms.gle/Bdz9ZwMXPqRuAxyK6?

Young women leaders wanting to participate in the mentorship programme as mentees can sign up here: https://forms.gle/p5cna2gv4oXt12Ui9

The deadline for the 2024 application is November 30, 2023.