How is coaching distinct from mentorship?
Mentorship is a supportive relationship in which a more experienced individual passes on his or her knowledge, wisdom and experience to an individual who is a novice. Often, mentoring relationships are utilized to pass on informal organizational cultural norms and to assist the individual in making connections which are important to career advancement. Mentoring relationships are not usually interdevelopmental and may foster dependency on the part of both the mentor and individual. Mentoring tends to reinforce traditional organizational structures defined by hierarchy and top down decision making.
