Skip to content

Finding and Benefiting From A Coach and Mentor S12 Ep12

Phil McKinney
Phil McKinney
— 1 min read
Finding and Benefiting From A Coach and Mentor S12 Ep12

How do you find and take advantage of an innovation,  business and/or career  coach/mentor? I was the beneficiary of a great mentor who had a major impact on my career success. As a result, I believe others can benefit from finding the right mentor that can help them through this thing called life. So, do you need a coach or a mentor? Is there a difference between the two?

In this weeks show, Phil McKinney and Kym McNicholas talk about their personal experiences with their coach/mentor. They also offer some advice on how to find the right coach or mentor for you.

The topics covered included:

  • What is the difference between a coach and a mentor?
  • How has a coach/mentor helped them?
  • How do you go about finding a coach/mentor?
  • How do you 'test' to make sure the coach/mentor is a good fit for you?
  • What to look out for when vetting a coach or mentor?

To help address the confusion before you even listen to the show, yes there is a difference between a coach and a mentor,

A coach provides specific instruction regarding how to improve your performance. For example, a baseball coach will help his team members improve specific functions, like pitching, catching or batting. He will offer clear directives and suggestions for improvement.

A mentor focuses on the individual’s needs, not the needs of the organization they work for. The mentor’s role is to not only help the mentee now, but help them develop the skills needed for future roles.

Show Links:

Listen to this week's show, Finding and Benefiting From A Coach and Mentor S12 Ep12.

Past ShowsStudio Sessionsbusiness coachbusiness mentorcareer coachcareer mentorcoachInnovationinnovation coachInnovation Mentormentor

Phil McKinney Twitter

Phil McKinney is an innovator, podcaster, author, and speaker. He is the retired CTO of HP. Phil's book, Beyond The Obvious, shares his expertise and lessons learned on innovation and creativity.


Related Posts

How To Build Innovation Teams (My Playbook From HP and CableLabs)

How to build innovation teams, from the playbook I used at HP and CableLabs: culture before hiring, the right roles, the Idea Fund, and the right metrics

Image of how to build innovation teams. Portions are generated by AI.

How To Improve Your Analytical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking judges a claim. Analytical thinking works the problem: break it apart, find what is really driving it, and test your read before acting.

How To Improve Your Analytical Thinking Skills

Never Forget: 25 Years Remembering Charles Falkenberg and His Family

First written September 11, 2008. Updated for the 25th anniversary, September 11, 2026.

Charles Falkenberg and his famly