We have a lot of business owners ask the question… “What is the difference between a business coach and mentor?” The answer is that there are many key differences, some of which are vitally important when choosing the person to help you take your business to the next level.
What is Business Coaching?
The role of a business coach is often compared favorably to that of a good sporting coach. They coach business owners through guidance, support, accountability and encouragement.
Business coaching helps owners of small and medium sized businesses with their sales, marketing, management, team building and so much more. Most importantly, just like a sporting coach, your Business Coach will make you focus on the game.
Mike Rady - Senior Business Coach
So how is that different to Mentoring?
The role of a Mentor is also to help through guidance, support and encouragement. But that is where the similarities end. A mentor may facilitate and help you to learn and discover new things, but this is through sharing their experiences and being a sounding board and friend.
A mentor is usually self-selected and It is also often a two-way beneficial relationship. Where the older mentor also benefits from learning and feedback from the younger generation.
According to Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D, "A mentor is like a sounding board, they can give advice but the partner is free to pick and choose what they do. The context does not have specific performance objectives. A coach is trying to direct a person to some end result, the person may choose how to get there, but the coach is strategically assessing and monitoring the progress and giving advice for effectiveness and efficiency."
"Mentoring is biased in your favor. Coaching is impartial, focused on improvement in behavior."
Keith Collins - Senior Business Coach
So in a nutshell...
Your Business Coach will be setting you specific goals and tasks to grow your business, and help you do it through sharing their knowledge and expertise. And most importantly, your coach will hold you accountable for your actions and the outcome.
Whereas your Mentor is there to offer you support and guidance, a sounding board for advice and questions, and an informal relationship to lean on.
Your business coach can also be your mentor, but a mentor is not a business coach.
Brett Burden - Senior Business Coach
You’ll find having an Action Centre business coach is just like having a marketing manager, sales team leader, trainer and recruitment specialist - wrapped in one - all for one nominal investment. We are the business partner you need without sharing your profits - with over 60 years of collective coaching experience to keep you on track and accountable for your own success.
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