Coaching vs mentoring at work: Do you know the difference?

Tracey Lange speaks to Anja van Beek, Human Resource Expert and Executive Coach.

As a manager, your job is not only to fulfill your newly appointed responsibilities and the extra admin it comes with, it's about being there for the many different people who are entrusted to you.

Some of the people in your team may also look to you for coaching and mentoring advice - will you be prepared for it?

The first step to being prepared is to understand the difference between coaching and mentoring.

Coaching is...

A management style where managers help to empower and develop team members by asking disruptive questions to help employees find empowerment and growth within the team, says van Beek.

"By asking leading questions, managers can help take a team member out of their comfort zone by supporting them and coaching them towards finding their own solutions."

- Anja van Beek, Human Resource Expert

Whereas, mentoring is...

Guiding the individual based on your work or personal experiences. 

Mentoring is typically not with someone reporting directly to you, it can be with someone from another department or with someone younger.

Organisations might have a mentoring programme, allowing various managers and people from different departments to connect with each other and share experience-based knowledge that might be significant to helping the individual grow within their team or company.

"With mentoring, you are sharing your life lessons with another individual."

- Anja van Beek, Human Resource Expert

Want more?

Van Beek joins Tracey over the next two weeks for her top-tier coaching and mentoring tips.

Scroll up to listen to the full conversation.