At first glimpse, the difference in these two words goes unnoticed…
COACH or MENTOR
For a moment, let’s take a trip back to high school where I believe we will gain greater clarity on the subject…
Where do you find a coach? The unanimous answer is organized sports. Looking deeper, who has a coach? Women and men who have decided to compete at the sport of their choice. Why do they need a coach? According to Webster’s, a coach is “one who instructs players in the fundamentals of a competitive sport and directs team strategy.”
Where do you find a mentor? The unanimous answer is study hall/ the library. Who has a mentor? Women and men who require additional guidance in order to gain a firm grasp of the material being taught in class in order to earn a passing grade. What’s the mentor’s role? Turning again to Webster’s, a mentor is defined as “a trusted counselor or guide.”
Realizing that the majority of you reading this are intelligent, I’ll do you the courtesy of departing from denotations & theory. Let’s get real!! A coach is someone who is standing on the sidelines, encouraging you to accomplish greatness. A mentor is someone who exists on the other side of the finish line which you are fighting to reach. While many coaches have, at one time or another, been on the battlefield; the mentor still is.
So, let’s apply this to the real world of business & politics. Which do you require to achieve those dreams bouncing between your synapses? Before you answer, reference the denotations of each. Well, what did you come up with? While we’re waiting for you to develop your answer, here’s mine: both.
A coach is an individual who provides a special brand of objectivity to the development of my personal and corporate success strategies. The sideline is not a place of shame but provides them a wide-angle view of you and the playing field. Who better to consult you on the validity of your game plan?!
A mentor is an individual who has a wealth of knowledge and experience (past & present) in a specific area. That area may be the environment in which a tactic for reaching my goal must take place, it could be the pathway to that environment, or it may be the ‘gunpowder’ which I require to successfully explode said tactic effectively.
Now that a big, bold, red line has been drawn between these two terms; GO BUILD YOUR TEAM! Your goals demand that you waste 0 minutes!!!
[This post is dedicated to Anubha, Mark, Kimberly, Joseph, Raechelle, Rhasaan, Mason, and the 2010 PA New Leaders Fellows.]