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Competencies

Coaching and mentoring

Two forms of supporting people's development. Coaching helps people find their own answers through questions; mentoring means sharing experience by someone who has walked a similar path.

Differences

CoachingMentoring
Essencehelping people find their own answerssharing experience and wisdom
Main toolquestions, listeningconversation, advice, example
Horizona specific goal, usually shortergrowth of the whole person, often a long relationship
Whothe coach need not know the fieldthe mentor knows the path the mentee is on

In practice the boundaries overlap: a good mentor uses questions, and a coach sometimes shares experience. Both should be distinguished from spiritual accompaniment, which concerns the relationship with God.

The GROW model

The most popular coaching conversation model was popularised by Sir John Whitmore (Coaching for Performance, 1992). Details in GROW model: Goal, Reality, Options, Will. Whitmore stressed that the purpose of coaching is to build the person's awareness and responsibility.

The leader as coach

Daniel Goleman observed that the coaching style is used least by leaders, though it has a clearly positive effect on climate (see Goleman's styles). Michael Bungay Stanier (The Coaching Habit, 2016) proposes a simple practice: say a little less, ask a little more. Example questions: “What's the real challenge here for you?”, “And what else?”, “What do you really want?”.

Mentoring in the Church

Mentoring has deep biblical roots: Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, Barnabas and Paul, Paul and Timothy. The White Book devotes two provisions to it: mentoring and spiritual accompaniment and inter-community mentoring.

Mentoring is part of the Akademia Przywództwa postgraduate programme (lectures and workshops in the third semester) and a form of support for participants in its courses. See also the discipleship method.

Sources

J. Whitmore, Coaching for Performance, Nicholas Brealey 1992 M. Bungay Stanier, The Coaching Habit, Box of Crayons Press 2016 D. Clutterbuck, Everyone Needs a Mentor, CIPD (4th ed. 2004) D. Goleman, Leadership That Gets Results, Harvard Business Review 2000 White Book of Good Leadership Practices, bialaksiega.pl Akademia Przywództwa, postgraduate programme, akademiaprzywodztwa.pl/studia

See also

Tools

GROW model

The most popular structure for a coaching conversation: Goal, Reality, Options, Will. Popularised by Sir John Whitmore.

Styles and Models

Goleman's six leadership styles

Daniel Goleman's typology (2000): coercive, authoritative (visionary), affiliative, democratic, pacesetting and coaching styles. The best leaders use several styles depending on the situation.

Good Practices

The discipleship method

Forming new leaders in a guide-disciple relationship, through shared action in the community rather than theory alone. A White Book provision modelled on Jesus and the Twelve.

Good Practices

Inter-community mentoring

A system of mutual support among leaders of different communities and movements: exchange of experience, building relationships and strengthening unity in the Church. A White Book provision.

Good Practices

Mentoring and spiritual accompaniment

A White Book provision stating that every leader needs someone to accompany their journey - a mentor and a spiritual companion - within a clear code of ethics.