How to Ingrain Coaching and Mentoring in Your Workplace

Coaching is often pictured as leading a team to victory on the field, whereas mentoring is mostly pictured as professional advising and teaching. But it's essential to know that both coaches and mentors are equally important for different parts of our lives and development.

That’s why ingraining coaching and mentoring in your workspace is a key to business growth.

According to our research, 81% of HR professionals agree or strongly agree that coaching has a positive impact on employee development and 78% say the same for mentoring. And when it comes to the impact on organizational performance, the numbers are similarly high — 77% of HR professionals agree or strongly agree coaching has a positive impact and 72% say the same for mentoring.

This article will help you understand the difference between coaching and mentoring, why it is important in the workplace, and how to ingrain it in your corporate culture.

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What is coaching and mentoring in the workplace?

Coaching and mentoring are two of the most powerful ways to lead your team. In both coaching and mentoring, the goal is to help others grow, develop, and reach their full potential. Numerous studies on mentorship have shown that achieving these goals leads to increased productivity and better results for your company on a host of metrics.

Organizations often lump the two together when discussing people development, making the decision seem 'either/or. The key difference between coaching and mentoring is that coaches guide the relationship, helping mentees grow skills they agreed upon at the onset of the relationship. Mentoring, on the other hand, is about what the mentee wants and is not as narrow as coaching. Mentees guide the relationship, using the mentor as one of their personal board of directors. 

Why is coaching and mentoring in the workplace important?

Coaching and mentorship programs are important for several reasons. They can help employees develop their careers, improve their overall productivity and leadership skills, and increase their engagement. 

Coaching can be used as a tool to help employees find their next step in the business world. It also allows managers to coach their staff on how they should think about each task at hand (e.g., "What is the best way to approach this project?"). It also enables them to think outside the box, explore more, and use organizational resources to set and achieve goals.

Especially the employees who feel they have enough support in the workplace tend not only to feel less burnt out but also have higher productivity levels than those who don't get enough support from management or colleagues alike. This means that coaching programs could help boost both morale and performance levels across all departments.

Here are a few additional benefits of coaching and mentoring.

Coaching and mentoring boost employee engagement and retention

One of the biggest reasons to invest in coaching and mentoring is the positive impact it can have on employee engagement and retention. When employees receive guidance through mentoring, they feel more supported in their roles. This support system encourages open communication and provides a safe space for employees to express concerns and aspirations, significantly enhancing their connection to the company.

Coaching focuses on developing skills and competencies, helping employees grow in their careers. When your company invests in employees' development, you show them that you value their growth, which leads to higher job satisfaction and loyalty.

Mentoring creates bonds based on trust and shared goals. These relationships encourage employees to be more engaged, since they know their mentors will champion their success and help them navigate workplace challenges.

Employees are less likely to leave a company when they feel they have opportunities to advance and a clear path to follow. Coaching and mentoring demonstrate to employees that their long-term success is a priority, which can improve employee retention and engagement.

Coaching and mentoring promote constructive feedback

Employees who receive coaching and mentoring become much more comfortable at giving — and especially receiving — constructive feedback. Coaches or mentors will often provide feedback to highlight areas of improvement, suggest professional development opportunities, and help their coachees or mentees think through new strategies and solutions. 

Through the process of regularly receiving constructive feedback, employees gain confidence and motivation. They learn more about their own perceived limitations and how to break through them.

As they become more comfortable with the constructive feedback they receive from their coaches or mentors, employees are more likely to become proactive, seeking out opportunities for growth rather than waiting for formal evaluations.

And, of course, as employees take action based on their mentor or coach’s recommendations, they will begin to develop specific skills and start to adopt more of a growth mindset.

Mentoring preserves institutional knowledge

When it comes to mentoring specifically, one of the major benefits is that it allows you to preserve institutional knowledge. 

Experienced employees hold a wealth of knowledge that they’ve built up over time. When they mentor others, they share this expertise with newer employees, ensuring that valuable insights and skills remain within your company. 

When key information gets passed down, it promotes continuity. Mentorship can help new employees be integrated into processes in a way that maintains consistency in quality and performance. This keeps your customers happy and loyal.

Mentors can also facilitate new hire onboarding by offering insights into the unwritten rules and practices that define your company culture.

The benefits of integrating both coaching and mentoring in the workplace

When it comes to coaching and mentoring, you might be wondering whether you should prioritize one or the other. Our recommendation? Invest in both! Here’s how integrating coaching and mentoring can be beneficial:

• Coaching promotes enhanced skill development: Coaching focuses on honing specific skills and addressing performance challenges. With their targeted feedback and guidance, coaches help employees improve rapidly in areas central to their roles.
• Mentoring leads to personal growth and confidence: Mentoring offers a broader scope for personal development. Mentors nurture confidence and foster leadership skills by sharing insights into career paths and industry norms.
• Both coaching and mentoring improve employee engagement: Combining both coaching and mentoring creates a supportive environment that shows employees their development is valued. This can lead to higher job satisfaction and reduce staff turnover rates.
• Both coaching and mentoring strengthen organizational culture: When you invest in both coaching and mentoring, you’re cultivating a culture of continuous learning and support. Not only does this retain your high performers, but it also makes your company more appealing to prospective employees.

Examples of coaching and mentoring employees in the workplace

Coaching high-potential employees on leadership skills

A specialized type of coaching known as leadership coaching is used to develop the leadership skills of high potential employees and senior managers. And if an employee has strong leadership qualities themselves, then having someone with more experience mentor them could be just what they need.

Participants are given options rather than directions in this approach. They're also encouraged to listen and ask questions. This also strengthens the work relationships and cultivates an atmosphere that embraces exploration, innovation, and originality.

Mentoring new employees during onboarding

If you put yourself in the employee's shoes and consider that you’re starting a new job, the last thing you want to do is feel like an outsider or out of place. You look forward to being welcomed into your team and given the support that will help you succeed at work. A great way for managers and leaders alike to show their support for new hires is by mentoring them during onboarding, which can also help them learn more about their career paths within the organization.

Coaching leaders on unconscious bias in the workplace

No matter how open-minded we may feel and how self-aware we are, we are all influenced by unconscious biases—beliefs and feelings about others curated by our personal experiences, our knowledge, or even the lack of information that we are not even aware of.

It is possible to raise awareness of workplace unconscious biases and develop strategies for preventing them through unconscious bias leadership training.

Mentoring diverse employees in an employee resource group

Typically, employee resource groups are voluntary networks of employees who share a common interest, a common characteristic, or a common background that fosters connections between them. Most employees form employee resource groups to share their experiences at work with others of like ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

Mentoring diverse employees in an ERG is a great way to build supportive communities at work, and this is without a doubt a positive factor in helping to engage a workforce and make them feel like they belong.

How to encourage coaching and mentoring in the workplace

Here are some actionable tips for leaders to make coaching and mentoring the norm in their workplace.

Lead by example

Leadership is about "walking the talk’’.  When we lead by example, we demonstrate what we want to see through our behavior rather than our words. 

Saying one thing and doing another is the opposite of leading by example. In the past, the saying "do as I say, not as I do" may have held true, but it is no longer relevant today. Make sure you encourage all leaders at your organization to set a good example and model the type of behavior they’d like to see on their teams.

Let employees make their own decisions and learn from their mistakes

Letting employees make their own decisions and learn from their mistakes is a great way to ingrain coaching and mentoring into your workplace. Employees will feel empowered when they have the freedom to make choices on their terms, rather than being told what to do by someone else in authority. They'll also be more likely to take advantage of this opportunity if leaders give them the tools needed for success (like clear instructions).  

Demonstrate that you trust employees and believe in their abilities

Trust is a key component of coaching and mentoring in the workspace because it’s an earned relationship. Leaders need to trust employees and be open to learning new things from them as well.

Trust is about encouraging employees to try new things, even if they don't work out well at first! If leaders can show their team members that they believe in them enough (and not just intellectually), then they'll be more likely to try out new ideas themselves instead of just accepting what everyone else does without question or criticism.

Make time to reflect with employees after a completed project

Reflecting on the past with employees is a great way to learn from the mistakes. This allows teams to assess the situation, learn from these mistakes, and come up with new ideas to show improvement for future projects. Reflecting on the present, however, can provide insight into how a team might improve in the future.

Ask employees what skills they could improve

Leaders may sometimes have to discuss an employee's performance with them. When it's time to address an employee's growth and development, it’s important to keep it positive. During these conversations the leader should explain missed expectations, set clear goals and matrices, and offer the employee their help and support.

Follow up on development goals

You can increase your employees' skills and advance their careers by following up on a well-designed employee development plan. As a result, they have more tools to help your business succeed. It's a win-win for everyone.

Focusing on your employees' development goals can not only improve the effectiveness and knowledge of your workforce but can also improve employee satisfaction. It is less likely that your employees will look for work elsewhere if they are happy at work.

Build a coaching and mentoring culture in your workplace with Together

Building a coaching and mentoring culture in your workplace is a daunting task. Finding the right fit is crucial to building a like-minded, relevant, and thriving culture in your workplace. But you may get frustrated with the juggling act of finding the perfect mentor or coach and give up. Luckily, Together is a mentor matching app that takes the manual work out of this process. 

Together makes mentor-matching a breeze. It’s a mentorship platform that allows your organization to make a perfect mentor match using its advanced pairing algorithm. Mentors and mentees are matched and paired based on their goals, skills, and where they want to grow.

So find your employees the right mentor today and stay at the top of thriving coaching and mentoring culture in your workplace with Together.

‍Need some help implementing coaching and mentorship programs at your company? See what Together can do for you!