Inbox: Letter to the editor

I would like to take issue with the Inbox article in the June issue under the heading “Meet your coach, it’s your manager”, which is indicative of confusion between coaching and mentoring. What the quoted authority is advocating is unlikely to be effective as an in-house line management function.
In my experience as an NZIM accredited management mentor, I inevitably encounter conflict situations that are unlikely to be revealed to superior who may be seen as the cause of it.
Coaching is different matter in that it contains elements of advising and directing that fall outside the scope of mentoring. Managers will also be perceived as lacking in objectivity and fail to recognise external factors that could involve privacy issues.
I agree that coaching is primary management function and if correctly applied can enhance individual and team performance.