Coaches and mentors are the people who should be brought in to consult with an industry-specific expert. They allow the team to gain the necessary skills and experience that will later be integrated into the overall business environment. Collaboration with coaches is usually short-term, involving them in a specific task or exercise. In addition, they work for results – improving the performance of one area. Working with coaches is necessary to achieve quick results, and new skills will be implemented immediately. The trainer’s policy chooses the path and format of the sessions, which plays a significant role.
In contrast, mentors are specialists in long-term collaboration, with the staff usually acting as program leaders. The mentor’s goal is to lead by example and show that skills development is an opportunity for better performance. The staff learns from a plan they are comfortable with to reach a certain level. The role of the mentor is to help mentees learn how to fulfill their role more effectively. The coach and mentor, therefore, differ primarily in the duration of their collaboration, key objectives, and how to achieve results.
It is recommended to start engaging mentors by discussing the goals of the person who needs help developing their skills. The incubator director, with the consent of the incubator’s management team, can also help them decide whether to join the program. The third party in the organization is an opportunity for cultural and social exchange, so the self-selection of mentors is more favorable than the selection by the manager. The choice of a mentor by the organization limits the employee’s potential because the employee may not feel comfortable with that person and will be less able to cooperate. In self-selection, the employee may be guided by an intuitive affinity for the mentor.