Coaching vs. Mentoring for Today’s World

Andy Jordan is President of Roffensian Consulting S.A., a Roatan, Honduras-based management consulting firm with a comprehensive project management practice. Andy always appreciates feedback and discussion on the issues raised in his articles and can be reached at [email protected]. Andy's new book Risk Management for Project Driven Organizations is now available.

  Leadership   Talent Management  

Think of a successful sports team that you admire, or one that you resent because they keep beating your team. What makes them successful? Certainly, they are likely to have some big stars, individuals with massive amounts of natural talent. But a lot of teams have those, especially in most major leagues where regulations impose financial restrictions on how much can be spent by any one organization.

The successful teams are often those that have the best strategies and tactics, the best approach to managing the game. They are the ones best able to adapt and adjust to what their opponents are doing, and to change their own style of play based on what is happening in the game. They are less predictable, more creative, and generally harder to play against. What makes them that way?

While there are numerous variables, the biggest factor is coaching. That’s why coaches in many major sports are paid such massive salaries; teams recognize the impact that they can have. Whether it’s working collectively with the entire squad on the overall ethos and approach, developing the first team players, building skills for groups, or working on confidence and competence of individuals, coaches and their support teams are critical to success.

Yet outside of the sports arena, the value of coaching isn’t always as well recognized or valued. There are corporate coaches, …

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