Mentoring verses Coaching
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Professional Growth and Development
Mentoring
· “Mentoring can be viewed as a developmental relationship that is sustained and valued for humanistic reasons” (Mullen, para. 1, pg. 7). Mentoring is a mutual agreement between at least two people where growth can occur on multiple levels. There are various theories for mentoring. Most mentoring theories tend to fall into two categories:
o Traditional Mentoring Theory- “Traditional mentoring theory encompasses skills-based, goals-oriented learning passed down through the generations” (Mullen, para. 2, pg. 10). Traditional mentoring theory has many similarities to coaching such as focusing on skills and goals for growth. Traditional mentors could be described as advocates, advisors, and promoters (Mullen, 2012).
o Alternative Mentoring Theories- “Alternative mentoring theories are value laden, promoting the values of collaboration, co-mentorship, democratic learning, humanistic mentoring, and shared leadership” (Mullen, para. 4, pg. 15). Some alternative mentoring theories include collaborative mentoring theory, mentoring mosaic theory, multiple-level co-mentoring theory, and synergistic leadership theory. These theories all include collaboration, shared energy and information, equal partners collaborating for success and growth.