This article has its origins in several complementary sources: the personal coaching experiences of both myself and my co-authors in 14 books on coaching and mentoring; the experiences of coaches, who I have supervised; and observation of coaches in real plays within coach assessment centres (robust, validated processes for evaluating the competence and “fit” of…
There’s no universal model of a board – it varies from country to country and from sector to sector. It can have a single tier; or a clear distinction between the executive board and the non-executive (supervisory) board. It can be there to formulate strategy; or to assess and approve it.
When a board is made up solely of executives, it benefits from being a team. However, it lacks the external perspective that challenges their perceptions and assumptions. On the other hand, when the board is a mixture of executives and non-execs, teamwork becomes much more problematic. The NEDs are – at least in theory – there to exert collaborative independence. If they get too close into the team system, they lose that perspective. Sometimes, a half-way house is possible, when NEDs shadow executives.
Clarifying the differences between coaching and mentoring is difficult, nor least because it is highly contextual. Almost every difference proposed has a counter explanation.
