A520.7.3.RB - Importance of Having a Coach and Mentor

If I were to have my preference of a coach or a mentor to help me through my professional journey I would choose a mentor.  To me a mentor is someone who has a vested interest in you as a person and a professional and will be there for the long hall.  A coach is a great tool to utilize when you need a certain skill sharpened or task completed, one that could be called on from time to time to help when needed.  A mentor is someone you can call with any problem, issue or dilemma and know they will be there to help you through. 

Zachary (1997) described mentoring as “one of the most powerful influences in a person’s life” (p3).  She goes on to explain that it can arise out of a personal relationship or a professional role, but that most people will be both a mentor and a protégé in their lives.  Mentoring is designed to be a long-term relationship, one that both parties can gain from, and a friendship of sorts.  Coaching is more like acquaintances than friends, someone you can call to ask a favor or to answer a question but not someone you are going to open up to about your personal feelings. 

I would enjoy the opportunity to have a mentor in my life again.  As I do not have helpful parental influences in my life it would be nice to have someone who I could turn to that would help me grow in my journey through this phase of my professional life.  I have a fairly decent personal support system in place; my husband, mother in law and a small group of good friends are always there to help me when I need it in my everyday life, but no one to turn to in my professional life at the moment.  I had a good mentoring relationship at the start of my teaching career she was the lead teacher at my school and she was so helpful through my years there.  We are still in contact, in fact we both sit on the youth soccer board and have kids in the same grade, she was a positive influence in my life and I am thankful for that. 

I feel that everyone can benefit from a mentoring relationship, whether it is as a mentor or a protégé.  We all need people in our lives that are positive and support us through good times and bad.  Sometimes we just need a trusted person to give us a reality check and tell us our thoughts are way out of line, this is just as important as cheering someone on, maybe more important.  People have a much easier time giving you positive feedback than negative, but the negative is an important part of growing and succeeding. 

Zachary, L. (1997). Creating a Mentoring Culture. All About Mentoring, (11), 3-7.