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Mentoring & Coaching

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Cornell offers mentoring and coaching programs to staff and faculty. Both provide personalized guidance that can boost your skills and help you advance in your career goals.

Mentoring vs. Coaching: How To Choose What's Right For You

Mentoring

  • Mentoring serves the client as a trusted advisor and guide
  • Short-term
  • Informal, flexible
  • Skills-Based (i.e., learn about a particular type of work, such as websites or project management)
  • Anyone can be a mentor (Learn about being a mentor!)
  • You choose your mentor or are matched in Workday
  • Mentors have answers for your questions
  • "I know what I want to learn about"
  • Good choice for: employees seeking to expand skills, take on new projects, improve performance

Learn More About Mentoring

Coaching

  • Coaching holds the client as their own resource for answers
  • Four to six month program,  meeting every 2-3 weeks
  • Structured
  • Focused on developing behaviors or "soft skills" (i.e., working smarter not harder, developing decision-making or strategic skills)
  • Coaches are professionally certified and confidential
  • Coaches are assigned individually through Organizational Development and Effectiveness and may involve a sponsor
  • Coaches ask you questions to help you explore, think, discover, and grow
  • "I want to be better, but I'm not sure what I need"
  • Good choice for: Being in a new role, feeling stagnant or blocked, leadership development, developing self-awareness

Learn More About Coaching