The Economist: Coaching and Mentoring

Tell me, and I will forget.
Show me, and I may remember.
Involve me, and I will understand.
Confucius, 450 BC

Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults.

Having someone impartial to shine the mirror of reality or truth on you, whether in senior management or in life generally, is an exercise well worth embarking on.

exerted a far greater influence

To rely on the advice of just one mentor would be unwise.

open doors and use their contacts and networks to help the people who are being mentored

Those that forget the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.

The old are the zombies at the end of our own home horror movies.

Mentors impart their knowledge and experience, while coaches draw out the personal experiences and answers from the person being coached. In a mentoring relationship there is also likely to be a far greater emphasis on career and personal development, whereas the focus of coaching is usually on specific development areas.

Developing a person’s skills and knowledge so that their job performance improves, hopefully leading to the achievement of organisational objectives. It targets high performance and improvement at work, although it may also have an impact on an individual’s private life. It usually lasts for a short period and focuses on specific skills and goals.