Coaching and Mentoring at Work: Developing Effective Practice

Citation

Lassey, P. (2007), "Coaching and Mentoring at Work: Developing Effective Practice", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 39 No. 5, pp. 288-289. https://doi.org/10.1108/00197850710761990

Dr Mary Connor and Julia Pokora are independent consultants with considerable experience of developing mentoring programmes, particularly in the health sector. This book is aimed at “coaches, mentors, clients, managers, leaders, professionals, HR specialists, trainers, consultants and students” and is of interest to anyone wishing to develop as a coach or mentor or who seeks to assist someone who does.

The authors claim to marry the practices of mentoring and coaching through a focus on the commonality of practice (and the common misunderstanding of the terms in general use). This is refreshing although it does tend to mask some significant issues. The authors do provide definitions of coaching and mentoring, and they look at practice from these different perspectives, however, the origination of goals is always seen as learner rather than organisationally derived. The usual focus of improved performance in the workplace, a major concern of much occupational coaching, is not directly addressed.

The authors also claim to have produced a book that meets the needs of both sides of the learning relationship, not just the coach or mentor but also the client. However, this is largely limited to one, albeit useful chapter, “How can I be an effective client?”. In addition to the useful and practical chapters devoted to developing coaching and mentoring skills, the authors include chapters covering, the training and development of mentors and coaches, the ethical issues of such activity and the development of a coaching or mentoring culture within an organisation.

With chapters and many sections framed as questions the book has an instruction manual feel to it, encouraging the reader to see it as a reference document, to dip into when needed. Each chapter has a bullet point list of subheadings and concludes with a short chapter summary. Disappointingly, there are few suggestions for further reading. However, there are regular activities for the reader. These sections encourage an active engagement with the text, and I feel sure these will be well received by the relatively new or inexperienced coach or mentor.

It is not the first coaching or mentoring text to have a strong reliance on Egan's Skilled Helper model, an approach that has found favour in the areas of counselling and guidance for some time, but it is this that provides the book with its main strength and perhaps its main weakness. The framework is a little too prescriptive for all mentoring and coaching situations. The needs and the experience of the client can have an impact on the approach to take with them and this one‐size‐fits‐all approach is a little too limiting. However, the model's emphasis on client engagement, ownership, discovery and action, fits neatly with the supportive and developmental relationship of a coach or mentor.

Although limited in a few respects, the book is an important and welcome addition, in a very crowded and ever growing market for books on coaching and mentoring. Well researched, easy to read and packed full of helpful guidance, I am sure it will make its way on to the reading lists of development programmes for coaches and mentors. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine a coach or a mentor who would not gain from this surprisingly comprehensive text.