Difference Between a Mentor and a Coach

“A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others.”

Time and again we find ourselves in a position where our one step will chart the course of our life. This is the time when the wise people seek help. But it’s important whom you reach out to; a mentor or a coach. Although the terms may sound similar, there is a vast difference between them. Once you understand the difference it will help you reach out to the right person at the right time.

To begin with, a mentor is a person you reach out to in order to build your skill sets. This is the person who is associated with you for months even years for the skills require time to be acquired and honed.

A coach is someone you reach out to in order to achieve a short term goal. He helps you overcome your specific shortcomings that are holding you from reaching the next level. An association with a coach is always short term

The background of a mentor is of a veteran in your field. One who has earned his wisdom through the years that he has put in the field. He can guide you in your job with the help of his experience.

A coach has specific expertise that will help you solve the issue at hand; it can be strategic planning, insights, focus, or interpersonal skills. He will train you to attain an immediate goal.

A mentor will always focus on building a relationship since it’s very essential for the mentee to be okay feeling vulnerable before his mentor. When you are tackling self-confidence, self-perception and skill development a strong relationship is necessary.

A coach will be goal oriented whose sole objective is to help you harness the potential you already have to bring lifelong changes. He will always focus on the task at hand and how he can improve your performance.

Some of the greatest leaders of our times have a handful of coaches and mentors in their life which help them achieve short and long term goals respectively.  We hope this blog helped you understand the difference between a coach and a mentor. If you think that you have the skills and the knowledge but still struggling with your performance it's time you meet up with a coach.

Where to find them, they are closer than you think. Visit Happy Brain Coach today and they will tell you all about it.