Our Coaches are committed to continuously raising
their self-awareness, insight, and empathy
Many people have written about the importance of self-awareness as a core part of multicultural competence. Paul Pedersen (1990) wrote that insight is a critical component in effective counseling to help people understand what their “in group” is, what categories they may be using with clients, and what attributes they associate with those categories. Insight is dependent on a high level of knowledge, awareness, and skill. These three factors make up the fundamental components of multicultural competence. As a career services provider, your ability to generate insights for your clients is dependent on your understanding of the prominent cultural contexts in each client’s life. That understanding is filtered through the practitioner’s own cultural lens (Pedersen, 1990). Pedersen encouraged practitioners to begin with an understanding of themselves and their cultural assumptions.
Career practitioners’ multicultural competence and insight are not solely a by-product of deliberate avoidance of cultural myths, but instead are a result of addressing their own culture-specific assumptions.
~Facilitating Career Development | Student Manual, Copyright 2020 National Career Development Association, 6-4
Career practitioners’ multicultural competence and insight are not solely a by-product of deliberate avoidance of cultural myths, but instead are a result of addressing their own culture-specific assumptions.
~Facilitating Career Development | Student Manual, Copyright 2020 National Career Development Association, 6-4
Coach Team Conversation
Get an inside look at what it's like to be a Confidence Coach! Hear from a few current Confidence Coaches about what to expect.
Are You Their Coach, Mentor, Counselor or Consultant?
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Empathy vs Sympathy
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The Art of Listening
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The Art of Active Listening
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Build Trust through Active Listening
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Cultural Competence
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What Is Privilege?
Don’t Put PEOPLE in BOXES🚫
Informed Support for Those Experiencing Psychosis
Coaching vs. Teaching
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Teaching
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Coaching
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Shared Goals
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While both coaching and teaching share the goal of fostering new skills, they differ in their approach and focus. Understanding these differences will help guide your interactions as a Confidence Coach.
Teaching
Both coaching and teaching aim to foster new skills and empower individuals to grow, whether through structured learning or personalized motivation and support.
Teaching
- Develops thinking by providing structured information.
- Seeks specific answers based on past learning experiences.
- Often occurs in a group setting.
- Provides guidance and clear information to help learners absorb knowledge.
- Focuses on developing motivation and accountability towards personal goals.
- Encourages self-discovery by asking open-ended questions.
- Helps individuals dispel false beliefs and focus on future growth.
- Tailored to the individual, focusing on personal needs and progress.
Both coaching and teaching aim to foster new skills and empower individuals to grow, whether through structured learning or personalized motivation and support.
Development Distinctions
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Training
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Mentoring
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Coaching
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Understanding Developmental Roles: A Deeper Look
As a Confidence Coach, it's important to understand how coaching differs from training and mentoring. Each approach has its own distinct purpose and method for supporting individuals in their personal and professional growth.
1. Training
As a Confidence Coach, it's important to understand how coaching differs from training and mentoring. Each approach has its own distinct purpose and method for supporting individuals in their personal and professional growth.
1. Training
- What It Is: Training involves the transfer of specific knowledge or skills from an expert (trainer) to a student.
- Focus: The trainer provides essential information that the student currently lacks, with a heavy emphasis on instruction.
- Structure: The relationship is often structured and temporary, centered around a narrow subject or skill set. Training typically focuses on short-term objectives, such as mastering a task or acquiring knowledge in a defined area.
- Example: A trainer teaches someone how to use a new software program.
- What It Is: Mentoring is a developmental relationship in which a senior person shares wisdom, advice, and guidance with a mentee, often related to career and personal development.
- Focus: The mentor helps the mentee navigate career paths or personal growth through their own experiences, offering insights based on having traveled the same or similar path.
- Structure: This is usually a long-term relationship where the mentor provides connections, references, and advice over time, helping the mentee achieve personal or professional goals.
- Example: A seasoned executive mentoring a junior employee to advance in their career.
- What It Is: Coaching is a collaborative process where the coach helps an individual (coachee) unlock their own potential and work through problems.
- Focus: Unlike training or mentoring, coaching does not require the coach to have the same experiences or background as the coachee. Instead, the coach focuses on empowering the individual to come to their own solutions, providing support and guidance along the way.
- Structure: Coaching is future-oriented and often more flexible than the other methods. It enables individuals to work through challenges and build resilience by facilitating self-discovery and problem-solving.
- Example: A coach helps a client identify their strengths and create a plan to overcome professional challenges without giving direct advice.
Do you know when to Teach, Mentor, or Coach?
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Teaching
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Mentoring
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Coaching
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Understanding the Key Differences: When to Teach, Mentor, or Coach
Each approach—teaching, mentoring, and coaching—plays a unique role in personal and professional development. By understanding when to apply each one, you can effectively guide others toward achieving their goals.
1. Teaching: Providing Knowledge for Immediate Gaps
Teaching is most effective when there’s a clear knowledge gap that needs to be filled quickly and directly. It involves giving instructions, providing answers, and guiding individuals to solve specific tasks.
When to Use Teaching:
2. Mentoring: Guiding Long-term Career Development
Mentoring is a relationship-based approach where a senior or experienced person offers advice, opens doors, and provides guidance to someone with less experience. It’s ideal for long-term career progression and personal development.
When to Use Mentoring:
3. Coaching: Empowering Self-Discovery and Growth
Coaching focuses on helping individuals unlock their potential by asking questions, listening, and guiding them toward self-discovery. Coaches don’t need to have the same background or expertise as the coachee. Instead, they help people reflect on their experiences and improve behavior, motivation, or mindset.
When to Use Coaching:
Each approach—teaching, mentoring, and coaching—plays a unique role in personal and professional development. By understanding when to apply each one, you can effectively guide others toward achieving their goals.
1. Teaching: Providing Knowledge for Immediate Gaps
Teaching is most effective when there’s a clear knowledge gap that needs to be filled quickly and directly. It involves giving instructions, providing answers, and guiding individuals to solve specific tasks.
When to Use Teaching:
- Knowledge Gaps: When someone lacks the basic skills or information to complete a task.
- Time Constraints: If you're short on time and need immediate action or understanding.
- One-off Tasks: Teaching is best for skills that may only need to be used once or are straightforward in nature.
- Urgency: When a task is urgent, teaching ensures that instructions are followed with minimal room for error.
2. Mentoring: Guiding Long-term Career Development
Mentoring is a relationship-based approach where a senior or experienced person offers advice, opens doors, and provides guidance to someone with less experience. It’s ideal for long-term career progression and personal development.
When to Use Mentoring:
- Career Growth: When someone is looking to advance in their career and needs insights and advice from someone who has been on a similar path.
- Learning the Ropes: A mentor can help someone who is new to an organization or role by offering support and explaining company culture or processes.
- Building Networks: Mentoring often involves making introductions and opening doors to new opportunities for the mentee.
3. Coaching: Empowering Self-Discovery and Growth
Coaching focuses on helping individuals unlock their potential by asking questions, listening, and guiding them toward self-discovery. Coaches don’t need to have the same background or expertise as the coachee. Instead, they help people reflect on their experiences and improve behavior, motivation, or mindset.
When to Use Coaching:
- Enhancing Current Skills: When someone already has the necessary knowledge but could benefit from refining their skills or changing their approach.
- Overcoming Challenges: Coaching is useful for addressing issues related to motivation, commitment, or confidence.
- Personal Development: It’s a powerful tool for helping people reflect on their own experiences and develop solutions to recurring challenges or behaviors.
Coaching
- Motivation
- Training
- Skills
- Solutions
- Success
- Potential
Coaching is a multifaceted process designed to unlock an individual’s potential and guide them toward achieving personal and professional success. Each key element of coaching plays an important role in fostering growth and development.
1. Motivation: Fuel for Progress
Motivation is at the core of coaching. A coach helps individuals tap into their internal drive, reigniting their passion and commitment toward achieving their goals. By fostering a positive mindset, coaches can push people to move beyond their limitations.
Coaching often involves an element of training, where the individual learns new skills or refines existing ones. Training is targeted toward helping the person reach specific goals and is often tailored to their needs.
Skills are the building blocks of success. A coach works with individuals to develop or enhance key competencies necessary to achieve their goals, whether they are related to leadership, communication, or technical abilities.
A coach doesn’t provide all the answers; instead, they help individuals discover their own solutions. Through guided questioning and active listening, coaches empower people to identify the best course of action for their unique challenges.
The ultimate goal of coaching is to help individuals achieve success, whether that is in their careers, personal lives, or a specific endeavor. Success looks different for everyone, and coaching helps define and reach that personal vision.
Everyone has untapped potential, and a coach’s role is to help individuals recognize and unleash it. Coaching encourages growth, self-awareness, and confidence, pushing people beyond what they thought was possible.
The Power of Coaching
Coaching is a holistic process that taps into motivation, builds skills, and encourages individuals to find solutions and unlock their potential. By focusing on success and personal growth, coaching leads to long-term, meaningful progress. Whether you’re working toward a specific goal or seeking to enhance your overall capabilities, a coach provides the support, guidance, and tools necessary to get there.
1. Motivation: Fuel for Progress
Motivation is at the core of coaching. A coach helps individuals tap into their internal drive, reigniting their passion and commitment toward achieving their goals. By fostering a positive mindset, coaches can push people to move beyond their limitations.
- How Coaches Help: They provide encouragement and help clients reconnect with their "why," ensuring that motivation stays strong even when challenges arise.
Coaching often involves an element of training, where the individual learns new skills or refines existing ones. Training is targeted toward helping the person reach specific goals and is often tailored to their needs.
- How Coaches Help: Coaches act as guides, helping individuals focus on learning new techniques or strategies that will enable them to overcome obstacles or meet their objectives.
Skills are the building blocks of success. A coach works with individuals to develop or enhance key competencies necessary to achieve their goals, whether they are related to leadership, communication, or technical abilities.
- How Coaches Help: By assessing where the individual currently stands, a coach can create a structured path to strengthen these skills in a way that is practical and actionable.
A coach doesn’t provide all the answers; instead, they help individuals discover their own solutions. Through guided questioning and active listening, coaches empower people to identify the best course of action for their unique challenges.
- How Coaches Help: Coaches help clients think critically and creatively, allowing them to take ownership of the solutions they develop, thus fostering long-term independence and problem-solving abilities.
The ultimate goal of coaching is to help individuals achieve success, whether that is in their careers, personal lives, or a specific endeavor. Success looks different for everyone, and coaching helps define and reach that personal vision.
- How Coaches Help: By keeping clients accountable, celebrating small wins, and maintaining focus on the bigger picture, coaches ensure that individuals stay on track to achieve their version of success.
Everyone has untapped potential, and a coach’s role is to help individuals recognize and unleash it. Coaching encourages growth, self-awareness, and confidence, pushing people beyond what they thought was possible.
- How Coaches Help: Coaches challenge limiting beliefs, encourage self-reflection, and provide the necessary support for individuals to break through personal and professional barriers.
The Power of Coaching
Coaching is a holistic process that taps into motivation, builds skills, and encourages individuals to find solutions and unlock their potential. By focusing on success and personal growth, coaching leads to long-term, meaningful progress. Whether you’re working toward a specific goal or seeking to enhance your overall capabilities, a coach provides the support, guidance, and tools necessary to get there.
Guiding Approaches: Telling, Mentoring, Coaching
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Telling (Directive)
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Mentoring
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Coaching
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Understanding the Spectrum of Support: From Telling to Coaching
In any development process, there are various ways to support and guide individuals. These approaches fall along a spectrum, from directive telling to non-directive coaching, with mentoring acting as a blend of both. Knowing when to apply each approach is key to empowering others effectively.
1. Telling (Directive Approach): Quick Answers and Direct Problem-Solving
The telling approach is directive and is used when immediate solutions or instructions are needed. This method is most useful in time-sensitive situations where there is no room for error, and the individual simply needs to follow specific guidance to complete a task.
When to Use Telling:
2. Mentoring: Sharing Experience and Offering Guidance
Mentoring involves both showing and guiding. It is less directive than telling and focuses on sharing wisdom and experiences. A mentor supports someone on a more personal level by helping them understand processes and offering advice based on their own experience.
When to Use Mentoring:
3. Coaching (Non-Directive Approach): Empowering Problem-Solving
Coaching is a non-directive approach focused on asking powerful questions and guiding someone toward finding their own solutions. The coach encourages self-reflection, helping the individual to work through challenges independently and build their own problem-solving skills.
When to Use Coaching:
The Continuum: Knowing When to Shift Between Approaches
The graphic shows a clear continuum between telling, mentoring, and coaching, with each approach fitting different situations:
In any development process, there are various ways to support and guide individuals. These approaches fall along a spectrum, from directive telling to non-directive coaching, with mentoring acting as a blend of both. Knowing when to apply each approach is key to empowering others effectively.
1. Telling (Directive Approach): Quick Answers and Direct Problem-Solving
The telling approach is directive and is used when immediate solutions or instructions are needed. This method is most useful in time-sensitive situations where there is no room for error, and the individual simply needs to follow specific guidance to complete a task.
When to Use Telling:
- Urgency or Lack of Experience: When someone lacks the knowledge or experience to make decisions or take action on their own.
- Problem-Solving: When solving a problem for someone is quicker and more efficient than letting them figure it out on their own.
2. Mentoring: Sharing Experience and Offering Guidance
Mentoring involves both showing and guiding. It is less directive than telling and focuses on sharing wisdom and experiences. A mentor supports someone on a more personal level by helping them understand processes and offering advice based on their own experience.
When to Use Mentoring:
- Skill Development: When someone is learning the ropes and needs advice or feedback.
- Career Growth: When long-term development is the goal, and the individual benefits from the guidance of someone who has walked the same path.
3. Coaching (Non-Directive Approach): Empowering Problem-Solving
Coaching is a non-directive approach focused on asking powerful questions and guiding someone toward finding their own solutions. The coach encourages self-reflection, helping the individual to work through challenges independently and build their own problem-solving skills.
When to Use Coaching:
- Self-Discovery: When someone already has the knowledge or experience but needs guidance in thinking through problems and identifying their own solutions.
- Long-Term Empowerment: When the goal is to help someone become self-sufficient in their decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
The Continuum: Knowing When to Shift Between Approaches
The graphic shows a clear continuum between telling, mentoring, and coaching, with each approach fitting different situations:
- Telling is about giving answers and solving immediate problems.
- Mentoring is about sharing experiences and guiding someone through learning.
- Coaching is about asking questions and empowering individuals to find their own solutions.
Guiding Methods: Teaching, Training, Mentoring, Coaching
Teaching
Training
Mentoring
Coaching
- IMPACT: Informs
- PURPOSE: Transfer Information
- STYLE: Show and Tell
- FOCUS: Education and Knowledge
- GOAL: Conceptual Understanding
Training
- IMPACT: Enables
- PURPOSE: Transfer Processes
- STYLE: Interactive
- FOCUS: Skills and Abilities
- GOAL: Skill Mastery
Mentoring
- IMPACT: Empowers
- PURPOSE: Build Character
- STYLE: Challenge and Model
- FOCUS: Wisdom and Values
- GOAL: Leadership Skills
Coaching
- IMPACT: Enhances
- PURPOSE: Improve Performance
- STYLE: Question and Advise
- FOCUS: Performance and Expertise
- GOAL: Peak Performance
Each method—teaching, training, mentoring, and coaching—has a unique role in helping individuals develop both personally and professionally. Understanding the impact, purpose, style, focus, and goals of each approach helps tailor guidance for effective outcomes.
1. Teaching (Direct & General)Teaching focuses on transferring information to help someone gain a conceptual understanding. The style is directive, often involving clear instruction, and is most effective in educational settings where the focus is on imparting knowledge.
2. Training (Direct & Specific)Training is more hands-on and interactive than teaching. Its purpose is to enable individuals to master specific processes, skills, or abilities. It is highly focused on skill development, often in workplace or technical settings.
3. Mentoring
Mentoring involves a more personal approach, aimed at building character and leadership skills. It focuses on long-term development by challenging individuals and modeling values. The relationship is typically informal and based on shared experiences and wisdom.
4. Coaching
Coaching is focused on enhancing performance by helping individuals solve their own problems and improve their skills. Rather than providing direct answers, coaches ask questions that encourage reflection and self-discovery, leading to improved outcomes.
Conclusion: Adapting Your Approach
By understanding the distinctions between teaching, training, mentoring, and coaching, you can better choose the right method for guiding individuals based on their needs. Teaching and training are more directive, focusing on general or specific skills. Mentoring and coaching, on the other hand, are indirect approaches, fostering growth and performance improvement over time.
1. Teaching (Direct & General)Teaching focuses on transferring information to help someone gain a conceptual understanding. The style is directive, often involving clear instruction, and is most effective in educational settings where the focus is on imparting knowledge.
- IMPACT: Provides foundational understanding by explaining concepts and principles.
- PURPOSE: To transfer knowledge or new information that the individual does not already possess.
- STYLE: "Show and tell" teaching methods, where the individual is shown how to do something and then informed about why it works.
- FOCUS: General knowledge, theories, and education.
- GOAL: To foster conceptual understanding of broad topics.
2. Training (Direct & Specific)Training is more hands-on and interactive than teaching. Its purpose is to enable individuals to master specific processes, skills, or abilities. It is highly focused on skill development, often in workplace or technical settings.
- IMPACT: Enables the development of practical abilities.
- PURPOSE: To transfer processes that can be immediately applied.
- STYLE: Interactive, often involving practical application and feedback.
- FOCUS: Skill-building for a specific task or job requirement.
- GOAL: Skill mastery and competence.
3. Mentoring
Mentoring involves a more personal approach, aimed at building character and leadership skills. It focuses on long-term development by challenging individuals and modeling values. The relationship is typically informal and based on shared experiences and wisdom.
- IMPACT: Empowers individuals by providing insights and guidance from someone more experienced.
- PURPOSE: To build character, confidence, and leadership abilities.
- STYLE: Challenges the mentee by offering advice and serving as a role model.
- FOCUS: Wisdom, values, and overall professional development.
- GOAL: To develop leadership qualities and personal growth.
4. Coaching
Coaching is focused on enhancing performance by helping individuals solve their own problems and improve their skills. Rather than providing direct answers, coaches ask questions that encourage reflection and self-discovery, leading to improved outcomes.
- IMPACT: Enhances the individual’s performance and expertise.
- PURPOSE: To improve performance by guiding the individual to their own solutions.
- STYLE: Question and advise, encouraging the individual to reflect on their experiences and challenges.
- FOCUS: Specific performance issues and expertise development.
- GOAL: Achieve peak performance in a specific area.
Conclusion: Adapting Your Approach
By understanding the distinctions between teaching, training, mentoring, and coaching, you can better choose the right method for guiding individuals based on their needs. Teaching and training are more directive, focusing on general or specific skills. Mentoring and coaching, on the other hand, are indirect approaches, fostering growth and performance improvement over time.