It’s easiest for me to answer that question by comparison with each other and also with therapy, which is another one-to-one professional relationship. I offer coaching and mentoring, but not therapy.
So what do these terms mean?
Coaching takes you from where you are now to a better situation – whatever that phrase means for you. We start from the position that you as a person are already whole; however you want to move forward. Maybe you already have a clear goal; maybe you only have a rough idea.
In coaching, we engage in a series of conversations to establish exactly what your ideal place in the future looks like. Then we map out the road from where you are now to where you want to be, considering what changes in behaviour and perhaps mindset would be needed, and thirdly we work together to get you along that road.
Your relationship with your coach is different from that with anyone else. I am not your friend, your teacher, your parent, your spouse. I am not your judge. I bring no preconceptions about where you should be going – that is for us to discover together.
I am the professional pathfinder with whom you can be completely honest. Together we will map out your trajectory, and then I will inspire, encourage, and support you on every step of the journey.
The concept behind mentoring is the transfer of knowledge gained from experience. So what is my experience?
I worked as a senior manager both at design stages and on site for the realisation and delivery of $nine-figure overseas projects. My position as lead consultant required a working knowledge of at least ten specialist professions to run large multi-disciplinary teams, both within my own office and working under me as subconsultants.
My environment was one of continuous change in a contract-orientated, high-capital, high-risk industry, requiring both creativity and meticulous accuracy. Many of my clients were difficult to work with, and/or less experienced than I was. My teams worked under conflicting pressures of time, money, quality and safety while maintaining the reputation of both my company and my clients’ companies.
I constantly mentored my staff and in some cases my clients too, to help all parties achieve optimum results in difficult situations. I found this experience fascinating as a practitioner, and I would be happy to discuss the process, its challenges and solutions.
If any of this resonates with you, please get in touch. I don’t charge for this. Happy to share my knowledge and pay forward.
The presumption in therapy is that the client wants to address something about themselves, rather than about where they are going in life.
In therapy, maybe you want to dispel some demons or work through grief. And this can also be a workout for your emotions. You don’t have to be sick to go to the gym, do you? You go there to improve your physical body. So similarly, engaging in therapy can be a powerful tonic for your inner self.
Another way of describing the contrast between coaching and therapy is to say that therapy is principally about the relationship between your past and your present, whereas coaching is about the relationship between your future and your present.
I respect therapy. I am not a qualified therapist and I don’t practice it. If you want to learn more, I recommend this excellent discussion on the subject.
Coaching takes you from where you are now to a better situation – whatever that phrase means for you. We start from the position that you as a person are already whole; however you want to move forward. Maybe you already have a clear goal; maybe you only have a rough idea.
In coaching, we engage in a series of conversations to establish exactly what your ideal place in the future looks like. Then we map out the road from where you are now to where you want to be, considering what changes in behaviour and perhaps mindset would be needed, and thirdly we work together to get you along that road.
Your relationship with your coach is different from that with anyone else. I am not your friend, your teacher, your parent, your spouse. I am not your judge. I bring no preconceptions about where you should be going – that is for us to discover together.
I am the professional pathfinder with whom you can be completely honest. Together we will map out your trajectory, and then I will inspire, encourage, and support you on every step of the journey.
The concept behind mentoring is the transfer of knowledge gained from experience. So what is my experience?
I worked as a senior manager both at design stages and on site for the realisation and delivery of $nine-figure overseas projects. My position as lead consultant required a working knowledge of at least ten specialist professions to run large multi-disciplinary teams, both within my own office and working under me as subconsultants.
My environment was one of continuous change in a contract-orientated, high-capital, high-risk industry, requiring both creativity and meticulous accuracy. Many of my clients were difficult to work with, and/or less experienced than I was. My teams worked under conflicting pressures of time, money, quality and safety while maintaining the reputation of both my company and my clients’ companies.
I constantly mentored my staff and in some cases my clients too, to help all parties achieve optimum results in difficult situations. I found this experience fascinating as a practitioner, and I would be happy to discuss the process, its challenges and solutions.
If any of this resonates with you, please get in touch. I don’t charge for this. Happy to share my knowledge and pay forward.
The presumption in therapy is that the client wants to address something about themselves, rather than about where they are going in life.
In therapy, maybe you want to dispel some demons or work through grief. And this can also be a workout for your emotions. You don’t have to be sick to go to the gym, do you? You go there to improve your physical body. So similarly, engaging in therapy can be a powerful tonic for your inner self.
Another way of describing the contrast between coaching and therapy is to say that therapy is principally about the relationship between your past and your present, whereas coaching is about the relationship between your future and your present.
I respect therapy. I am not a qualified therapist and I don’t practice it. If you want to learn more, I recommend this excellent discussion on the subject.
Here is a map I made of the territory that the discipline of coaching covers.
Maps tell you what’s there but they don’t tell you where you are going. Maybe you know that and you want some help with the route; or maybe you want to explore the whole area.
Maps are great at helping you with all that stuff. And so am I.
Like all maps, this one tells you as much about the map-maker as it does about the terrain. I like wrapping my head around complex things and organising them graphically in a way that encourages open-minded exploration.
So in case you do too, here is something we can discuss together.
