While I was writing an article about the stances of a Scrum Master, I was at first a bit confused about the differences between the roles of coach, mentor and teacher. In this small article I want to zoom in on the differences between these different roles.
Coaching, mentoring, and teaching are all important roles that a Scrum Master can take on in order to help their team members and organization become more effective. However, each of these activities is distinct in its approach and goals.
Coaching is a one-on-one relationship between a coach and a coachee. A coach helps the coachee to identify their goals, develop a plan to achieve them, and provides support and guidance along the way. The coach helps the coachee to identify and overcome obstacles, and to develop the skills and knowledge they need to be successful.
Mentoring, on the other hand, is a more experienced-based relationship between a mentor and a mentee. A mentor is someone who has been through similar experiences and can share their wisdom and insights. A mentor can provide guidance and advice on how to navigate the challenges of a particular role or industry. They also act as a role model and can help the mentee to develop their own leadership style.
Teaching is a more formal process where a teacher imparts knowledge, skills and understanding to a student. A teacher may use different methods such as lectures, discussions, and exercises to help the student to learn. Teaching is typically done in a classroom or workshop setting, and the goal is for the student to learn a specific set of skills or knowledge.
A summary:
- Coaching and Mentoring are both forms of guidance and support, but with a slightly different focus
- Coaching is more goal-oriented and focuses on helping the individual to achieve their goals
- Mentoring is more experience-based and focuses on sharing wisdom and insights
- Teaching, on the other hand, is a formal process of imparting knowledge, skills, and understanding
The Scrum Master can use all three of these stances, depending on the needs of the team and the organization. For example, the Scrum Master may take on the role of coach to help an individual team member improve their skills, the role of mentor to help a less experienced team member navigate the challenges of their role, and the role of teacher to train the team on new tools or techniques. In this way, the Scrum Master can help the team to improve their performance and achieve their goals.