You will find the definitions about what is Coaching and Mentoring in various sources and at the end of this article I also provide you with some useful links to explore more. To give you a flavour of my view on this topic, I will focus here on my experience and how it has served me.
I have recently had a very interesting conversation with people I love and respect for their wisdom and openness (thank you David and Aurora for your inspiration!). We have been talking about coaching, mentoring and therapy, among other life related matters and our reflections went to the conclusion that it all belongs to the same family of tools during the self-exploration journey. Depending on the stage in your life, you may have different needs and you can choose the tool that serves you best. I trust that it goes even beyond a simple toolbox, and it is part of a wider enhancement mechanism in our life journey experience and discovery.
Coaching for me is a life changing process. It has helped me to connect to my deepest inner wisdom, to explore the way I want to live and what a harmonious life truly means to me. It has brought me to discover myself from the space of trust, love, and confidence, in support of living an abundant and fulfilling life. I have experienced it both in the professional context and in relation to my private life. Coaching has helped me to make some life changing decisions and enhanced my growth as a professional and overall, as a human being. Ultimately, it took me on a new path that I am currently expanding while serving other people as a coach.
The Co-Active Coaching that I am trained in is a particular coaching approach that emphasises dynamic and interactive collaboration between the client (coachee) and the coach. I truly believe in the cornerstone of the Co-Active saying that people are naturally creative, resourceful, and whole. Therefore, the coach doesn’t try to fix problems or even worse, to fix the person but rather collaborates with the coachee to reach deeper awareness and unfold the full potential. The Co-Active Coaching model is used in various contexts. Its emphasis on collaboration, balance, and holistic development can lead to profound personal and professional growth.
I was blessed with some very good coaches who guided me through the transformational moments of my life. As that process is not easy and uncovers the unknown areas of the awareness, emotions, and self-limiting beliefs, it is critical to have that relationship of mutual trust, confidentiality, and resonance between the coach and the coachee. It is therefore very important that you choose your coach wisely and try during the so-called sample or chemistry session whether the coach style resonates with you. I remember my first coach in Poland who supported me in finding out that I was ready for a new professional challenge and as a final step to move to another country. However, coaching doesn’t have to lead to such a big change in life, it may also help to reach smaller goals that are important in a specific life moment. To benefit from coaching, it’s essential to be open-minded, willing to engage in self-reflection, and committed to be accountable for actions. The coach is not supposed to do the work on your behalf so you need to be mindful that it will take some time and effort from your side to go through the process that in most cases brings some transformation in various areas of your life.
Mentoring has also been the tool of my frequent use, especially, when I was seeking advice, guidance, or a sparring partner. A mentor can share their experiences, insights, and knowledge, offering you valuable guidance and perspectives that come from their own journey. Mentors can assist in setting career goals, navigating career paths, and providing advice on skills, networking, professional development opportunities and can also support your personal growth.
And a coffee doesn’t exclude a tea, however it is important not to put it in one cup 🙂 While both coaching and mentoring involve guidance and support, the primary differences lie in their focus, structure, expertise, scope, and the nature of the relationship between the coach/mentor and the individual seeking guidance. You can choose to combine both tools and use it depending on your needs but remember that you and your coach or mentor need to be clear and transparent when the relationship transitions towards one or the other side. The best in my view is to keep it in two separate “cups”.
Coaching and mentoring differ from therapy, and it is important to choose the right path depending on your needs. Therapy focuses on healing traumas, pain, and mental disorders so that one can reach a better emotional and overall psychological health. There are various schools and methods of therapy so the best is to check with the expert what may be the right one for a specific case.
Overall, my approach is to follow my intuition, filter what comes my way and choose what resonates with me the most in each stage of my life. I am open and curious about various methods of self-exploration. I hope you will also find your best method that can take you to the next level of your human experience. If coaching and/or mentoring resonates with you, I will be happy to support you in your journey.
Useful links:
Coaching vs. mentoring, consulting, therapy (ICF resources)