Comparison between a Mentor and a Coach

Introduction

Both mentors and coaches are experts. The terms mentor and coach are often used interchangeably because both can do many of the same things.

For most people, the major difference between the two roles is that a coach is paid for their feedback and advice while a mentor is not paid.

The following table illustrates the other major differences between these two roles.

	Mentor	Coach
Focus	The focus is on the relationship, benefiting both parties professionally and personally and delivering a better ROI to the business	Transferring skills and knowledge to the person being coached to allow them to accomplish a specific task
Role	Expert in many business areas who can provide seasoned advice and feedback	Enabler who sets an agenda to meet specific goals
Scope of role	Business in all its aspects	Business task related
Company relationship	May be a member of the staff	Hired for specific task with no management responsibility
Source of influence	Skill set, expertise, experience and willingness to form relationships	Position as advisor with experience and specific skill sets aimed at solving specific problems
Source of satisfaction	Improving individual's chances of success and the opportunity to give back	Better teamwork, performance, and results
Term	Long term over months and years. Contracts are seldom used	Short term over days, weeks, or months usually by contract
Hiearchy	No reporting to the mentee's immediate manager	May report to individual's management
Affect on organization	May change the company's culture	Has little affect on a company's overall organization

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