The two most commonly discussed and used methods of employee development are mentoring and coaching. While these are the most common, they are not the only tools available for employee development. Ideally, coaching and mentoring should be integrated within a wide scope of development activities. Mentoring is an intense work relationship between senior and junior organizational members, the mentor and protégé.

The mentor has experience and power in the organization and personally advises, counsels, coaches, and promotes the career development of the protégé. Mentoring increases retention and morale through mutual loyalty between the employees and the employer. It also helps employees acclimate to their new job and learn the company culture much quicker. Both mentors and protégés should be trained in how to best prepare for and participate in the mentoring relationship.

Human Resource and training professionals can encourage and advise their employees in how to best navigate a mentoring relationship, even if the organization does not formally support a mentoring program. Coaching is more focused on helping employees achieve better daily performance to enhance their careers. The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.

The coaching process tends to move across four phases. First, clients focus on what to address. With the help of the coach, the employee is able to identify and focus on the issues that need to be addressed through coaching. Second, clients focus on the relationships they have and/or need to develop. Understanding the value of key players in the organization and the importance of building networks or coalitions of coworkers is important for success.

Third, clients create alignment between intentions and actions. Where they find their values are not in alignment with their actions, they can work to ensure intentions and actions are consistent. Fourth, clients make change in their organizations. Effective change requires that employees have a good sense of their strengths, are building positive relationships, and are ensuring their values align with their actions. The coach’s job is to ask the right questions and help employees find the answers to these questions in each phase of the coaching process.