What is mentoring?

“Mentoring” is often used interchangeably with “coaching.” Although it is often hard to distinguish them in practice, coaching can be characterized as practical training, focused on imparting and improving specific skills in a specific context—as in training in sports. Mentoring is a broader concept, devoted to career advancement, psychosocial support, and/or personal development of the junior partner. The mentoring relationship may be limited to a defined time period, or extend to a lifelong commitment to the mentee.