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October 27, 2020 | Academy of Entrepreneurs

What’s the difference between a Coach and a Mentor?

Did you know that 80% of mentored businesses have witnessed long term success, growth, and business revenues; doubling their survival rate as compared to non-mentored businesses?

Mentoring has so many benefits, and is often confused. I’m sure you’ve heard both the term “Coach” and “Mentor”, have you ever wondered how they’re different? Mentoring and Coaching are used almost interchangeably in the business world. However, despite what most people might think, there is actually a big difference between them both.

To understand how these two roles differ and what these professionals bring to the table, you first need to be clear on their specific responsibilities.

What is a Mentor?

Put simply, a Mentor is someone who offers their knowledge, expertise and advice to those with less experience. They leverage both their skills and experience to guide mentees in the right direction.

They help mentees to overcome obstacles, set development goals, develop new contacts and identify resources. In doing so, a Mentor serves as a professional advisor and role model. Expert mentors share their acquired knowledge and experiences with the mentees, and because they have already been through the same challenges, they are more empathetic and can provide reliable guidance to help the mentee to keep moving forward on their Entrepreneurial journey.

What is a Coach?

A business coach focuses on specific skills and development goals by breaking them down into concrete tasks to be completed within an agreed time period. By doing so, Coaches can help businesses and individuals to clarify their vision.

For many, identifying and then prioritizing goals poses a challenge. Coaches help put goals into perspective based on the importance of each one. They follow a more formal, structured approach to resolve issues and manage specific aspects of the job. A good coach will help their coachees set achievable goals but will also challenge them when setting goals that are too safe.

Regardless of their differences, both management techniques aim to:

Trust between both parties
A desire to develop
Knowledge sharing
Discussion of goals
Exposure to new ways of thinking
Skill development
Focus on career progression
The unlocking of someone’s potential

Are you in need of a Mentor? Did you know that Academy of Entrepreneurs offers personalised mentoring sessions in several languages? With 25 expert Mentors from around the world, we can help you save time, make progress, create impact, and most importantly, obtain RESULTS!