Coaches vs. Mentors
Who's who and do I need one?
There are two types of people who sound like the same person—but aren’t. Here’s some language that will help distinguish the difference between a mentor and a coach.
A Coach
A Coach is someone who asks great questions, listens well, and cheers you on. They may or may not define themselves as successful and they don’t have to be in your industry or field to help you.
A Mentor
A Mentor is someone who has been down the road you’re walking before. They know the industry, have relevant relationships, and have probably been stuck somewhere along the way. They can have coach-like characteristics, sure, but the main disambiguation is that they know the path.
Who Do I Pick?
Neither of these is better than the other, really. I’ve had both of these types of people in my life and they’ve both led to formative impact. Sometimes you need someone who’s done what you’re trying to do. Sometimes you need someone who hasn’t done what you’re doing. In my opinion, I find it helpful to have both, collect as much data as I can, and then make my decisions.
“If you can find 3 people like this in your life, you win the lottery.”
-Seth Godin
I’ve been actively working with mentors for years. I can’t recommend setting up these relationships. At one point, I even went as far as to formally ask “would you be comfortable with sitting on the advisory board of CD LCC.?” (That’s Chris Danilo LLC., a made-up entity.)
Make it formal. Don’t make it formal. There are no rules. You can do whatever you want. Just know that having mentors and coaches will always lead to better and faster results.
Hi Chris, it's a useful distinction to keep in mind, the difference between a coach and a mentor. I was privileged to be very talented young person's coach for about a year at my previous job. In the final analysis, I got as much if not more out of our coach / coachee relationship.
In the same way we choose role models without them knowing or agreeing to it, I like to think we can opportunistically find coaches & mentors in our every day interactions if we remain on the lookout. Humility and a hunger for learning from others is surely one of the secrets to making relentless forward progress ;)
Peace and love,
Carlos