What is the difference between coaching, mentoring, training, & counselling?

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Training Mentoring Coaching Counselling
Goal Transfer specific knowledge, methodology, and skills. Support and guide personal or professional growth. Improve behavioral performance for personal or professional goal success. Improve performance below standard.
Results Learning results Succession Goal achievement Performance improvement
Approach Transfer specific knowledge, methodology, and skills. Transfer formal and tacit knowledge, skills, best practices, experience, wisdom, and mindset. Help individuals or groups self discover and take ownership to achieve desired goal. Confront, correct and instruct of attitudinal and/or behavioural change.
Focus Help the students acquire specific knowledge and skills. Learning based on curriculum. Focus on the mentee's career goal/direction. No learning plan - Can be done formally and informally. Focus on the coachee's goal. Help the coachee self-discover hidden potentials and make behavioural and performance changes. Manage the staff's performance standard. Listen to their issues, give feedback, and manage the right expectations.
Relationships Teaching Advisory Collaborative Management
Communication More directive than non-directive.
Tell, advise and ask questions.
Directive & non-directive.
Ask questions, listen, and give advice.
Non-directive.
Ask questions, listen, and give feedback.
More directive than non-directive.
Tell, advise, and ask questions.
Time Present Present and future Present and future Past and present
Duration Short Medium and long Short and medium Short

< Back to coaching + mentoring page


What is the difference between coaching, mentoring, training, & counselling?

< Back to coaching + mentoring page

Mentoring Coaching
Goal Support and guide personal or professional growth. Improve behavioral performance for personal or professional goal success.
Results Succession Goal achievement
Approach Transfer formal and tacit knowledge, skills, best practices, experience, wisdom, and mindset. Help individuals or groups self discover and take ownership to achieve desired goal.
Focus Focus on the mentee's career goal/direction. No learning plan - Can be done formally and informally. Focus on the coachee's goal. Help the coachee self-discover hidden potentials and make behavioural and performance changes.
Relationships Advisory Collaborative
Communication Directive & non-directive.
Ask questions, listen, and give advice.
Non-directive.
Ask questions, listen, and give feedback.
Time Present and future Present and future
Duration Medium and long Short and medium

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