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Guest post by: Eric Douglas Become an Author

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A mentor is similar to a coach, but not the same. A mentor also offers counsel, but of a different type. Where a coach focuses on building your skills and competencies, a mentor will help you get the lay of the land, understand how things work, and provide advice. Put in concrete terms, if you want to decipher office politics, you would talk to your mentor. If you want to know how to communicate more effectively, you would talk to your coach. A mentor comes from either inside or outside the organization and is someone you can turn to for advice and guidance - perhaps steer you toward the right business connections or the best professional development course. A mentor is someone who can help you navigate treacherous waters or develop strategically important relationships. The difference between coaching and mentoring is that a coach is trained to help you change your underlying patterns of behavior. A mentor accelerates your learning about how to do your job more effectively. A coach doesn't need to understand your business; a mentor does.

Many organizations have mentoring programs. At the Tribune Company, for example, every manager is required to find a mentor. Even the CEO has a mentor. Lockheed Martin's mentoring program has only two rules. A boss can't mentor a subordinate and there's a "no fault" divorce provision: The relationship can be terminated at any time, for any reason, by either party.

Having a mentor is important. Being a mentor is also important; it can pay big dividends in your personal and professional growth. By becoming someone's trusted adviser, you can learn how to communicate more effectively and build strong professional relationships. Some of my longest lasting relationships are with people whom I've mentored or who have mentored me. Being a mentor is also a piece of firm ground where you can hone your mind and spirit as you embark on the more difficult climb of effecting your own personal change.

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