COACHING

Coach, mentor and learning coach

A few words about what we mean when using the expressions coach, individual coaching, discussion partner, mentor, psychotherapist, advisor and learning coach at MiL Institute.

Coach is an expression borrowed from the world of sport – it is in the same family as the word driver, as in a coachman. It originates in the Hungarian word ’kocs’; the English use it for the luxury bus usually full of tourists, while ’coachman’ is the person who drives the equipage and cares for the horses. Our use of the word ’coaching’ refers to the latter qualities.

A coach is the sort of person who spurs on, encourages and frees up energy, yet is not them self active in the business – just like a sports trainer who doesn’t get out onto the field when the game is in play. They are an active discussion partner, someone who, with an eye on the goal, helps people develop their own professional roles. At MiL Institute we speak of individual coaching when we refer to personal discussion support for managers.

Mentor has in recent years gained an ever broader meaning, it is now used synonymously with discussion partner. It was previously used to refer to a slightly older, more experienced colleague, who shared their experience and supported a younger person in their professional development. The mentor shares their own learning and insights and helps the other enter their world of experience.

At MiL Institute we use the expression mentor in its original, narrower meaning. That is, a mentor who gives advice and guidance to a younger person in a relationship that is built upon a free, mutual choice of each other.

Psychotherapist is someone who preferably treats psychic and psychosomatic disturbances with various psychological methods, as opposed to coaching where the work is principally with learning and development. Psychotherapy tends to be defined as a systematic and goal-oriented activity, based on scientific psychological methods and with a keen awareness of the balance between the individual and their social milieu.

Advisor frequently works within a specific subject e.g. with legalities, banking and various technical specialities. They possess speciality knowledge which is sold, or shared with whoever requires specific advice. A guide is a variety of advisor, the advisor’s function being somewhat played down in favour of the guide’s contribution; for some time now there has been little hesitation to call an advisor a guide.

Learning coach has a particular education or has amassed certain experience that he or she shares with those who wish to learn the same thing. The aim is often for the person under supervision to become a colleague on a par with the learning coach. Responsibility for what the successful ’graduate’ takes on lies with the learning coach who is equipped with the necessary competence.

Learning coaches in MiL Institute’s leadership programmes have a slightly different role. The learning coaches assist the participants in identifying and formulating what they consider their personal leadership skills to be. They increase the participant’s awareness of their abilities and their opportunities for development – thus somewhat of a coaching role – while also transferring tangible knowledge to them.

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