Are you a trainer or a mentor?
What is the main difference between a mentor and a trainer? A mentor establishes a long-term relationship with the mentee. It is an informal relationship based on trust. For example, when Ulysses went to war, he asked his friend to care for his son’s education. His friend’s name was Mentor. When Telemachus did not follow the advice of Mentor, Athena disguised herself as him. Mentor/Athena now was a wise man that let Telemachus deploy his talents, abilities, and full potential. A mentor.
A trainer is a person you go to if you have a problem in a specific area. Think of Chiron, a centaur who was a trainer in the arts of hunting, music, gymnastics, etc. Once he finished, he moved on to the next student: Heracles, Achilles, and Jason, to name a few. Once you learn what you need, the relationship between the trainer and trainee often ends. However, once the relationship matures between a mentor and the mentee, it may switch to a long-time friendship between peers.
Another big difference is skills. You learn hard skills from a trainer and soft skills from a mentor. When you have to learn a new program, you need a trainer. However, when you need help with leadership, communication, or organization, you have to find a mentor.
The mentor figure. Main key points
- The relationship is built through the mentee that is motivated to learn.
- It is a long-term relationship, ranging from months to years.
- It is a highly personalized experience.
- Mentors and mentees gain awareness, confidence, and skills. It’s a feedback process.
- It can follow back, iterate through the process, and sharpen new skills.
- The emphasis is put on career, behavior, or all-around development.
- It’s a more equal relationship, and the mentee can choose the mentor and set their own pace.
The trainer figure. Main key points
- Support is given at the time of training. There’s not much interaction afterward.
- It’s a shorter duration, from hours to days.
- Trainees gain new skills and confidence.
- The new skills may or may not fully transfer back to work.
- The trainer teaches one skill at a time.
- It can be one-on-one or in groups, and the trainer is usually an internal professional.
- The trainer is viewed as a subject matter expert.
- Training is about transferring knowledge, especially for the new hire in a company.
No role is more valuable than the other since they are both different. However, in their difference lies the value.
Training and mentoring help companies gain and retain talent, increase job satisfaction and morale, improve productivity and, of course, earn profits. Besides, you are developing future leaders, and all these benefits result in a better work environment.
At Awkbit we like to be both. We are always a call away to help you solve any questions you may have about the products we develop, but we also aim to get a long-term relationship. Like a mentor.
Give us a call and find out about the customized services we provide for companies in the US and Canada. See the difference for yourself.
