What is a mentor? A mentor is someone who has experience and wisdom that they pass on. A mentor gives advice.
What is a coach? A coach is a strategic partner that empowers you to explore and discover your own answer.
What is Mentor Coaching? Combine what a mentor is with what a coach is: the experience and wisdom of a mentor is used to inform the questions asked when coaching a coach. Plus, a mentor coach provides feedback in the form of observations. A mentor coach shares examples helpful to a coach. Quite simply, mentor coaching is a balance between mentoring and coaching.
According to the International Coach Federation, “The ICF defines Mentor Coaching as providing professional assistance in achieving and demonstrating the levels of coaching competency demanded by the desired credential level sought by a coach‐applicant (mentee). Furthermore, Mentor Coaching means an applicant (mentee) being coached on their coaching skills rather than coaching on practice building, life balance, or other topics unrelated to the development of an applicant’s coaching skill.”
For the different credentialing levels with the International Coach Federation, they require coach training and coaching experience hours plus mentor coaching:
The Center for Coaching Certification offers a comprehensive Mentor Coaching program for credentialing.
