Summary: Resuming our best of Killer Innovation series, we take a deeper look at the contrasting characteristics of coaching and mentoring.<br> <br> The topic is one that I have touched on over the years in various ways. People reach out to me all the time, asking about this. Coaching, as well as mentoring, often get placed <a href="https://killerinnovations.com/valuable-secrets-from-innovation-coaches-and-mentors-s11-ep52/">in the same category</a>. In reality, they are different. We will discuss the differences between innovation coaching and mentoring and run through some application scenarios.<br> Innovation Coaching<br> Many people often find themselves confused when it comes to coaching and mentoring. They don’t understand that innovation coaching and innovation mentoring are different. Coaching is the most common activity when it comes to innovation.<br> In general, coaching and mentoring are two of the top five most popular jobs out there. Innovation coaching is kind of like a sports coach. In baseball, a pitching coach trains pitchers to improve their craft. Pitching coaching is just like innovation coaching, as it seeks to <a href="https://killerinnovations.com/7-laws-of-innovation-and-benefitting-from-coaching-insights/">help one improve in a specific area </a>based on an assessment. It tends to be limited in duration. Also, it only works best with measurable and tangible improvement opportunities.<br> A good innovation coach will offer clear direction for improvement based on assessing one’s needs. Coaching can be on the individual level, team level, or for an entire organization. An innovation coach should be able to evaluate and tell you what area you need to improve. They should plan to improve and be more successful in a specific area.<br> Innovation Mentoring<br> Mentoring is a less specific and tangible area that looks at the big picture, such as your career. An innovation mentor is a trusted advisor that crosses personal and professional lines and might be with you for many years. They help craft broader goals and the skills and experiences to achieve them. When looking for an <a href="https://killerinnovations.com/no-entrepreneur-is-an-island-mentoring-networking-sharing-s13-ep52/">innovation mentor,</a> choose someone you can learn from.<br> You want one that has achieved innovation success in their career.<br> Usually focused on the individual, I have also done long-term mentoring for innovation teams. Mentoring sessions are less formal than coaching sessions and are on an as-needed basis. Fees for mentoring most likely come from the individual. A successful mentoring role should last many years and stay constant, no matter if your organization changes.<br> No fees may be required in rare cases if you become close to the mentor. Don’t expect mentoring to be free just because some mentors might typically do it out of the kindness of the heart. Remember, mentoring relationships require time and transparency to be successful. A mentor can’t do their job if you are not honest with them, and vice versa.<br> Coaching vs. Mentoring<br> One of the best ways to show the differences between an innovation coach and a mentor is to run through some scenarios.<br> First scenario: Your team is struggling to create a pitch for an idea to secure funding from your organization. You must determine the best way to structure your pitch to secure funding. Is innovation coaching or mentoring the best way to aid you? You could hire an innovation coach in this situation because it is a specific issue you are trying to resolve. You want to find a coach with an excellent track record of helping teams craft pitches. Pay the coach for their work rather than saying you’ll pay them upon success.<br> Second scenario: Your CEO has asked you to develop innovation leaders within your existing staff. Would this be innovation coaching or mentoring? With a longer-term goal that is not tangible, so in this case,
