Enough is enough. Yet another thread over at the good old Warrior Forum starts bitching about how this or that or whatever is not coaching, mentoring, whatever you want to call it. Hey, can we at least agree on the terms? Well, that’s the problem. Seems we can’t agree on anything when it comes to this subject. And therein lies the problem. Everybody has a different definition. And as long as that continues, a solution to the problem will never come about. This article explains.

First problem, when it comes to coaching and/or mentoring is that people can’t even agree on the difference between the two. Is there a difference? And if so, what? If you ask 100 different people, you’re going to get 100 different answers. Who’s right? Got news for you, it doesn’t matter who’s right. You heard me. See, the only thing that matters is the perception of the person who is seeking the coaching and/or mentoring. It’s whatever is in THEIR mind that matters. And that’s where the whole problem lies. It’s called expectations.

For starters, what degree of participation is required to be considered mentored or coached? How in your face does the mentor or coach have to get? Is email correspondence enough? Does the person have to get on the phone or on Skype with the student? Does the person have to fly to the student’s house and actually live with the student for a period of time? At what point is it coaching or mentoring and at what point is it, well, NOT coaching or mentoring?

What about the amount of information that is taught? Does it have to be everything involved with one particular subject? Does it have to be more than one subject? What about the amount of time spent with the student? Is one day enough to be considered coached or does it have to be a week, a month or even several months to a year? If I get on the phone with you for an hour and answer a bunch of questions, is that coaching?

Okay, before I start to drive you crazy with all these questions and a whole lot more that I could ask, let me give you MY definition of coaching, mentoring, whatever you want to call it, based on the expectations that I see from my own students. Here it is.

Coaching or mentoring, from the student’s point of view, is taking that student by the hand and walking them personally through whatever it is that they need to learn. That includes giving them the instruction that they need and THEN going over their work afterward to make sure that they did it correctly.

That’s the overall expectation, whether you want to agree with it or not. It isn’t just giving somebody a book to read or a video to watch and call it coaching. The student expects PERSONAL attention. And whether it’s via email, Skype or in person doesn’t matter to them. As long as after you’re done working with them they know what to do and know they’ve done it right, they’re happy.

As far as whether this is coaching or mentoring, don’t even get me started on that. Essentially, they are the same thing in the minds of the students. They expect personal attention.

Get that right and the semantics won’t matter.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Tired of spinning your wheels trying to get your marketing off the ground? Haven’t got a clue what you’re doing and sick of being dead broke? Why not get some solid mentoring from somebody who has been EXACTLY where you are today? Check out my mentoring program at http://www.stevewagenheim.com/mentoring/mentoring.html and finally get yourself the one on one education that can FINALLY give you the success that you’ve been looking for.