AMF WOMEN: Coaching, Mentoring and the Power of Shared Experience
The AMF WOMEN community brings together people with a wealth of professional experience, practical knowledge, and different perspectives. This session will explore how that experience could be used to support others across the group.
Hosted at Oseco Elfab, the event will look at the differences between coaching and mentoring, the value each can provide, and what it really means to support someone’s professional development.
We will also begin exploring the potential for AMF WOMEN members to volunteer as coaches or mentors within the community. You do not need to be a senior executive or have all the answers. Sometimes the most valuable thing you can offer is time, encouragement, a fresh perspective and experience that someone else has not yet had.
The session will be practical, informal and interactive, allowing attendees to consider:
- What coaching and mentoring involve
- The important differences between the two
- What makes a good coach or mentor
- How to create a supportive and confidential relationship
- What you could offer—and what you might gain in return
- How an AMF WOMEN coaching and mentoring network could work
Coaching and mentoring: what’s the difference?
Mentoring is about sharing experience.
A mentor draws upon their own knowledge and career journey to offer guidance, encouragement and perspective. They may suggest possible approaches, share lessons they have learned and help someone navigate a challenge or opportunity.
Coaching is about helping someone find their own answers.
A coach uses thoughtful questions, active listening and constructive challenge to help someone think more clearly, identify their goals and decide what action to take. The coach does not need to be an expert in the person’s role or industry.
A simple way to explain it is:
A mentor may say, “Here’s what I learned when I faced something similar.”
A coach may ask, “What do you think is holding you back, and what could you do next?”
Both can be incredibly valuable, and many effective professional relationships naturally include elements of each.
