An Optimistic Approach To Mentoring And Coaching

The benefits of both mentorship and coaching may not always be obvious

Most of us have mentors in our personal lives: confidants we go to for advice when we face life’s hurdles, people who are our loudest cheerleaders during personal victories. And many of us seek out a mentor when you are trying to make major moves in your professional life, the benefits of both mentorship and coaching may not always be obvious.

We often use these two terms interchangeably. But in reality, they refer to two different processes on our professional journeys. Mentoring and coaching are critical leadership and management competencies for many organizations today. Also, employees are asking for more coaching, what I like to call feedFORWARD.

FeedFORWARD is providing feedback in a meaningful, positive and compassionate way without demotivating a person to do better. Oftentimes, feedback can be delivered and/or articulated in a way that can land negatively on the receiver, and it does not empower them to be better or provide an optimistic outlook on their development. I heard one of my graduate school professors use this term that she adopted and I thought it was brilliant. I take that approach with my team, and they appreciate and respect my candor, but also my care and optimism that motivates them to be better. Positive and authentic coaching improves employee and organizational resiliency and effectiveness in change.

Coaching and mentoring are invaluable performance tools for any leader or manager. It is a key process for empowering employees to perform and unlock a person’s potential and get the most out of their performance. It is about empowering action that drives better results. And since excellence arises from good habits, coaching also involves inspiring people to stop negative habits and cultivate positive ones.

Additionally, coaching must be a continual process. Just like the habits we wish to develop, we must make coaching a consistent process. If we only have coaching sessions when there’s a problem, the employee will likely associate it with criticism, which is the opposite of feeling empowered.

Mentorship provides access to those who might not otherwise have it. It can be as simple as inviting a mentee to a Zoom meeting they would have not been able to attend, or offering an opportunity to demonstrate new talents.

Mentorship builds up a network and opens doors to new relationships that can influence a career trajectory. This relationship helps navigate the workplace and influence important career moves like promotions. Most importantly, it provides a support system and coaching outside of a direct manager and is invaluable. Mentorship is a two-way street and does not only benefit the mentee, but also the mentor by helping them better understand the experiences of employees and enhances their leadership experience.

 

Creating a workplace that reflects society where everyone feels seen, valued, heard and empowered to succeed is salient, now more than ever. We have been faced with many cultural and political dilemmas, systemic racism and a global pandemic that we were unprepared to deal with. Having someone there to walk with us on our professional journey and guide us through this evolution can make all the difference.