Coaching and Mentoring at Ulster
The People, Place and Partnership strategy is clear and ambitious in its aspirations for what colleagues at Ulster University should expect from their careers in UU.
One of the strategic plan’s three aims is that “[we] Enhance the working lives and development opportunities of our staff.”
In addition to the many development opportunities offered to colleagues, our Coaching and Mentoring schemes are one of the approaches that aim to provide the opportunity to develop, support and motivate staff.
Are Coaching and Mentoring the same thing?
It is possible to draw distinctions between coaching and mentoring although the two terms are often used interchangeably. There are a variety of definitions and the below are some generally agreed principles and distinguishing differences which guide us in Ulster University.
Check the table here to allow you to choose which may work best for you.
| Coaching | Mentoring |
|---|---|
What is a coach? A coach is someone who provides guidance to a client on their goals and helps them reach their full potential. | What is a mentor? A mentor is someone who shares their own knowledge, skills and/or experience, to help another to develop and grow. Typically, it is a more experienced colleague sharing their greater knowledge to support the development of an inexperienced individual |
What skills do they have and who delivers coaching? Coaching is a skilled activity, which is delivered by those trained in coaching skills. Coaching may be delivered by members of staff or by external coaches. In UU, we have an internal coaching panel. | What skills do they have? A mentor uses similar listening and questioning skills to help the mentee reach solutions but is not trained in coaching. In UU we recommend that our mentors attend Mentor training to ensure a consistency of practice in mentoring. |
| Generally, has a set duration. | Ongoing and can last for a long period of time. |
| Short term (sometimes timebound) and focused on specific development areas/ issues. Coaching aims to produce optimal performance and improvement at work. It focuses on specific skills and goals, and may also have an impact on an individual’s personal attributes such as social interaction or confidence. | More long term and takes a broader view of the person. |
| Non–directive. Coach may facilitate the individual reaching their own solutions through a “thinking partner” approach. | Can be directive – Mentor may give guidance and advice based on experience. |
Is coaching or mentoring the best development method for me?
The merits of each need to be considered alongside other types of development interventions and should only be used when it is clearly the best way of helping an individual learn and develop. Development options should be discussed as part of your development conversation with your line manager.
You can also reach out to one of the People Development Partners by emailing: pdod@ulster.ac.uk and they will be happy to help.
Here at Ulster University, we have a wide range of coaching and mentoring programs for you to explore depending on your needs and circumstances.
