We are often asked by women whether they should get a mentor or a coach? We asked one of our regular mentors, Dennis Roberts (who is also a business coach) for his opinion:
“The terms coaching and mentoring are often used inter-changeably. The best distinction is that ‘a mentor is someone you learn from, whereas a coach is someone you learn with’.
A mentor implies that they have been there, done that in a similar or related field and has a pool of knowledge and experience to draw from and share. A coach doesn’t need to have that same knowledge or experience. He/she just needs to know how to ask the right questions of you to facilitate your self-discovery. Whereas coaching is entirely about the learner, mentoring involves more sharing from the mentor’s experience.
If I was advising a small business owner starting out to choose between a coach and a mentor, I’d suggest choose a mentor. When you’re entering the world of the unknown (business) there’s a lot to learn and much of that relates to common mistakes in business that a seasoned mentor can point out very quickly. Sure you can learn by making mistakes and growing from them but if there was a faster path, why wouldn’t you choose it?”
Dennis Roberts
So, if you’re looking to grow your business with the help of an expert business owner, then we strongly recommend the mentoring path.
