Executive Coaching or Mentoring

(Note this is a repost of my Blog from May 16, 2012)

The ultimate goal of our topic points is to enhance one’s knowledge, skills, and abilities so that they can increase their performance on the task for which they are being groomed. However, these are also two different areas in the business world today that need to be addressed with upcoming trainees and mid-level managers depending on what you and they want to accomplish for the company and for each other.

Coaching

In today’s fast-paced business world, coaching usually refers to a task at hand that is important. The coach is to help the person learn the required attitude, behavior and skills needed to perform the job successfully within the agreed success guidelines. The task is therefore well defined and the conversation begins and ends with a clear focus on specific timelines. The role of the coach is to create a specific agenda … split the task into manageable sub-tasks that have clear skillsets and look at the different ways a person can learn them. Experience as well as research tells us that actual experiences are the most effective learning tools.

Mentoring

Mentoring focuses on the whole individual and the discussions go beyond the general work life. This means that the interaction becomes more philosophical, more focused on attitudes and behaviors than on specific skills. You can attempt to add the same level of focus and timelines that you use in coaching, but the entire individual is the topic of discussions and exploration. Therefore, you have to be more of a comprehensive tutor than a coach who is teaching a specific skillset for the current timeline.

Training is not the same as coaching. Training can be one component of a larger coaching initiative. At the same time, mentoring is more abstract … happens mostly through the stories or experiences of the mentor.

Important Leadership Decision

While mentoring and coaching have their use in the leadership involvement of a  company, it is important to know that leaders must be clear about what the goal is, what they are doing and why, what each person needs from this experience, and what the company situation needs are and what is to be accomplished.

What would you like to share in the Coaching and Mentoring areas?

A GoodStuff Leader Profile

A good friend of mine who I have always thought is a strong leader in his own right recently shared with me a personality evaluation test he took and asked for my input. He seemed perplexed and unsure whether he should share this information and wanted to keep it confidential. He had been sitting on this evaluation for over six months and wasn’t sure what he should do with it.

In reviewing the evaluation, I became perplexed as to why he was so hesitant. I felt it was accurate and awesome. I thought the evaluation was on target with many of my feelings about him. In fact I thought it was complimentary and he should be proud of it. In order to protect the innocent, I will refer to this evaluation as “GoodStuff” to avoid possibly giving away my agreed confidence. Here’s a recap of the evaluation …

• Those rated as GoodStuffs represent between 1% and 3% of the U. S. Population.
• GoodStuffs inhabit a world of creative ideas.
• They are independent, original thinkers who are driven by their strong feelings, and personal integrity.
• They are sensitive, committed, hardworking, and perceptive. GoodStuffs are often excellent listeners, skilled at generating enlightened and creative solutions to other’s problems.
• They are thoughtful and careful decision makers,
• GoodStuffs prefer to have plenty of time to let ideas “percolate” before taking action to ensure they have thought things through thoroughly.
• Because they value harmony and agreement in building teams, GoodStuffs like to listen to others perspectives first but if there is misalignment, they like to persuade others of the validity of their viewpoint. They normally win the cooperation of others by using approval and praise, rather than argument or intimidation. At the same time if it comes down to making a tough decision they do not hesitate in doing what they feel is best for the organization or team.
• GoodStuffs go to great lengths to promote fellowship and avoid conflict, but should conflict result they are swift, precise, and firm in their action.
• They are often perfectionist highly focused, and driven to accomplish their goals. Their unspoken mission is continuous improvement.
• They are rather formal and reserved … always respectful of others.
• GoodStuffs are difficult to read, but it is very important to them that their values, needs and concerns be understood and respected.

Wow, to me that sounds like a strong leader.

What are your thoughts on the GoodStuff evaluation profile?

© Phil Hoffman 2013. All rights reserved