"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin

In 2019 I spent time coaching executives, mentoring executives, and teaching high school students. This week I was asked, "what's the difference?" Good question. The words are used so interchangeably its confusing. This is my take.
Mentors tend to be responsive to your input. You say X is happening, you want Y to occur, or you're considering Z action and the mentor weighs in.
Coaches tend to bring in outside evidence to help you reach a goal. You want to do X, the coach goes outside you to provide a different point of view, identifies the gap to bridge, and helps you get to the other side.
Teachers tend to focus on the transfer of knowledge. Once the information has been moved, it's up to you to take action. I want to learn how to X, teacher tells-shows-you do-they review, end scene.
It's easy to mix the three because they all work together in most advisor/advisee relationships. In general, if you're looking to acquire a new skill, look for a teacher. If you're looking to improve existing performance, look for a coach. If you're looking for input from someone who has "been there, done that" find a mentor.
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