Mentor Mentoring Skills and Techniques 3

Question 1

What is the difference between mentoring and coaching?

Accepted Answer

Mentoring is typically longer-term and relationship-driven; coaching is often shorter-term and skill-focused

Answer

Mentoring focuses on performance; coaching focuses on career

Answer

Coaching is informal; mentoring is always formal

Answer

There is no meaningful difference between the two

Question 2

Which technique should a mentor use when a mentee is overwhelmed by a large goal?

Accepted Answer

Help the mentee break the goal into smaller, manageable milestones

Answer

Encourage the mentee to abandon the goal

Answer

Assign a co-mentor to share the workload

Answer

Reduce the overall scope of the mentoring program

Question 3

What is 'reverse mentoring' and when is it most useful?

Accepted Answer

When a less experienced person mentors a more senior one, often on technology or new trends

Answer

When a mentor asks the mentee to teach them a foreign language

Answer

When two mentors trade mentees temporarily

Answer

When a mentor reviews their own past sessions critically

Question 4

A mentor consistently dominates sessions with their own stories. What problem does this create?

Accepted Answer

It shifts focus away from the mentee's development needs

Answer

It builds excessive rapport with the mentee

Answer

It gives the mentee too many examples to follow

Answer

It makes sessions more efficient

Question 5

What is the best way for a mentor to handle a topic outside their area of expertise?

Accepted Answer

Acknowledge the limitation and connect the mentee with a more suitable resource or expert

Answer

Provide general advice anyway to maintain credibility

Answer

Redirect the conversation back to familiar topics

Answer

End the mentoring session early

Question 6

Which mentoring technique involves the mentee observing the mentor in real work situations?

Accepted Answer

Job shadowing

Answer

Role play

Answer

Peer mentoring

Answer

Action learning