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Coaching and mentoring:
a new concept?
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What interests me and informs my
thinking …
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
Skills and attributes associated with mentoring and coaching

Good fit to practice learning

“ feels like something I do already”

Personal satisfaction in helping people achieve change

I find the mentoring model and framework a useful tool

Reflecting upon my own experience of being a mentor

Experience and reflection on teaching PE stage 1 and stage 2 and
the introduction of the mentor to support trainee practice educators
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Increasing use of the
term…

Mentors within other professions e.g. teaching, nursing

Practice education

Supporting training PE’s

Supporting Black African students who are failing to adjust( University of
Northampton)

Learner guide ( Step up to SW)

NQSW/ ASYE
Whatever the role title there is a shared commonality :
change, be it of thinking, behaviour, attitude or
performance
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What does the term “mentor” or
“coach” mean to you ?
Would you consider yourselves to
be mentors and coaches ?
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
Coaching typically may be considered as coaching someone
to improve their skills, ie fast track graduates, learn to
improve a particular skill e.g. teaching

Mentoring typically may be considered as one person
having knowledge and experience and providing
information to another person, or helping them find solutions
to their problems
A thought ! Could someone with less experience
be a mentor ?
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Mentoring :Beginnings in Greek
Mythology

Odysseus entrusted his son Telemachus to the Goddess Athens ,
who disguised herself in human form as Mentor (old friend of
Odysseus. Function to act as wise counsellor and helper to the
youth

Mentoring became common practice in apprenticeships
Beginnings of coaching
 Modern coaching literature Hughes (2003) suggest that it
has its origins in ancient Greece and links to Socratic
dialogue

Brunner(1998:516) “would coaching thus be a modern
version of the Socratic dialogue?”
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Similarities/differences
Shared influences

the significance of historical links of folk wisdom and
meaning.

“both mentoring and coaching are dyadic partnerships”
(Garvey, Stokes and Megginson 2010,p 19)
Dyadic :

Dyad meaning group of 2

Dyadic relationship; a relationship between two parties in
which both have the power to influence the other .
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Conversational learning

Methodology : drawn from learning and development
theories

Importance of narratives and social context in human
development

Differing levels of dialogue

Need for improved performance urge people to learn from
and with another person

Erikson’s (1995) concept of generativity
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Conversations
“Coaching and mentoring conversations are one vehicle for
such meaningful dialogue and here in our view , is the
potential power of learning conversations to lead, shape and
build changing attitudes , behaviours and performance in the
workplace”
(Garvey, Stokes and Megginson 2010,p 99)
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+So remember socratic questioning exploring
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the hidden....

Listen carefully to what is been said

Reframe or restate and summarize what a person has said to
enable them to explore their statements more carefully

Question to elicit understanding and challenging the taken for
granted assumptions that lay behind these (tfg’s) –


Called Socratic questioning
Remember Kiplings rhyme
I had six honest serving me
They taught me all I knew
Their names were what and why and when
And how and where and who
See Brockbank and McGill 2006

Encourage reflection- understand this as a learning process
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Mentor-coach competencies Pask & Joy
(2007)
Rational
Competencies
Intellect,
Analysis,
Problem-solving
Knowledge,
Understanding,
Skills,
Informed
application,
Practice
Ethical
Competencies
Values, Meaning,
Dreaming,
Creativity
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Emotional
Competencies
Personal
awareness
and
understanding in
working with self
and others
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Kathryn Jones July 2012 NOPT conference
Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education (CUREE) (2005)
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What qualities and skills do you think
mentors and coaches have ?
Similarities to Practice Educators ?
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Current research: suggests common
competencies

Process

Domain specific knowledge, expertise and focus

Professionalism and building practice

Self

Skills

Values and approach

Communication

Facilitating
(Willis,2005.mentoring and coaching standards undertaken
by European Mentoring and Coaching Council)
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Qualities and skills of mentors/
coaches
Listening
Restating
Questioning
Empathy
Summarizing
Reflection
Being able to Feedback
(McGill and Brockbank 2006)
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Pask & Joy (2007)
Contracting
1. Context
2. Issues
6. Action
Evidence
5. Deciding
4. Future
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3. Responsibility
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Dimensions of mentoring Clutterbuck (2004)

Directive – mentor takes primary responsibility for
managing the relationship: content; times; goals
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Non-directive – mentee sets agenda, initiates
meetings, supported to come to own conclusions
Barham and Conway’s (1998) study of the influence of cultural
factors on mentor behaviour found that:

where managers expect their role to be that of expert the
style of the mentoring relationship is more didactic

Where they see themselves as facilitators there is a
greater focus on mutual learning and empowerment
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Dimensions and styles of helping
Clutterbuck (2004)
Directive
COACHING
GUIDING
Stretching
Nurturing
NETWORKING
COUNSELLING
Non-directive
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COACHING
COUNSELLING
GUIDING
NETWORKING
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Some definitions: a mentor is someone
who

“off-line help from one person to another in making
significant transitions in knowledge ,work or thinking”
Clutterbuck,D .(2004)

“Facilitates learning , and supervises and assesses students
in practice settings” Gopee, N. (2011)
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And more..

“A mentor is the person who helps another learn from their
experience in the workplace” Hay 1995 in Morrison p.37

“Mentoring is a developmental alliance between equals in which
one or more of those involved is enabled to increase awareness
identify alternatives, initiate actions and develop themselves”. Hay
1995 Morrison p.37

Mentors help mentees step “outside the box of his or her job and
personal circumstances, so they can look in together. It is like
standing in front of a mirror with someone else, who can help you
see things about you that have become too familiar to notice
“(Clutterbuck and Megginson 1999 cited in Bolton p.193)
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I learnt ...
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I also learnt …
Its no disgrace for a man even a wise man
To learn many things and not be too rigid.
You’ve seen trees by a raging winter torrent,
How many sway with the flood, and salvage every twig,
but not the stubborn- they’re ripped out roots and all.
Bend or break....
Its best to learn from those with good advice.
( Sophocles 1982 p.95-6)
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+And one more thing…

“The prime factor in determining the role is the person.” (p188).
Roles may be interpreted in different ways by different actors (cf a
Shakespearean role; the role of a parent).

Roles may be consciously or unconsciously adopted and/or
projected.

Personal growth contributes to the dynamic nature of roles.

“Culture shift permits role development” (p193).

“Defining the concept of mentor-coach may help but is not the
same as finding the role” (p194).

A mentor-coach should not automatically assume the role that their
client expects or thinks they want of them.

“Advice, guidance and direction actively deny the client a role.”
(p196).
(Pask and Joy 2006)
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And finally…

Practice learning can benefit from the skills and attributes
associated with coaching and mentoring

However we must use caution …we are not coaches and
mentors in the true sense

Skills of self awareness, a commitment to adult learning, an
ability to hold those “difficult” conversations, clarity and
negotiating purpose of involvement ,and a passion to enable
people to achieve change are essential.
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Thank you for listening ,
Kathryn
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Reference list

Clutterbuck,D .(2004) Everyone needs a mentor .Fostering talent
in your organisation., Wiltshire, Cromwell Press.

Garvey, R, Stokes P.Megginson D. (2010) Coaching and
mentoring. Theory and Practice. London, Sage.

Gopee, N. (2011) Mentoring and Supervision in Healthcare,
London. Sage Hawkins, P and Smith N. (2006) Coaching and
mentoring and organizational consultancy. Maidenhead: Open
University Press

McKimm,J, Jollie, C, Hatter, M (2007) Mentoring :theory and
practice. Developed from Preparedness to practice, mentoring
scheme. July 1999.NHSE/ Imperial College school of Medicine.

Pask, R. & Joy, B. (2007) Mentoring-coaching: a guide for
education professionals Berkshire: OU Press
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