Advisers & Mentors & Coaches (Oh My!)

          Dorothy's journey through Oz was guided by a well-defined path and several types of people.  Alongside the villainous witches, there were friendly advisers and imperfect coaches.  Without each of these types stepping in and playing out their roles during Dorothy's struggle, she may never have made it home to Kansas.  What is the difference between an adviser, a mentor, and a coach; and why do we need all three?
          Advisers are people along the journey who have in-depth knowledge about our conflict at hand.  An adviser would look at our situation, listen to our goals, and offer a solution.  In Dorothy's case, her first encounter was with a group of advisers - the Lollipop Gang.  Their advice was clear and easy to perform, "Follow the Yellow Brick Road."  The Gang did not then join Dorothy on her mission, or check back in with her to see how she was doing.  The Gang was not invested in Dorothy's success.  
          A mentor is someone who can offer guidance, who has connections to smooth the way, and who has already traveled the path.  Dorothy's mentor was the Good Witch, Glinda.  Glinda popped in to check on Dorothy's progress, introduced Dorothy to the right people, offered insight into Dorothy's path and conflicts, and generally wanted Dorothy to succeed.
          Dorothy had three coaches on her journey home, the Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man.  These people traveled alongside Dorothy, experiencing her setbacks and successes.  All three were fully invested in her journey.  A coach knows the individual, primarily in the setting of the challenge, but also to some degree personally.  The coach's role is to help Dorothy along the path to her goal, through training, encouragement, cajoling, pushing, and sometimes tough love.  A good coach is not a quitter, and the joy of success is shared.

          In Dorothy's story, the appropriate person seemed to show up at the right time.  In real life, how do you know when to invoke which person?

• Adviser:  when you have a technical question, or you want to know the best course of action for a specific circumstance.  Contact your lawyer and your CPA when you are wondering what type of business entity you want to use.
• Mentor:  when you want to know how to get further down the path, or to make connections with others.  Take your mentor out to lunch at least once a month to check in on things like getting more education, or networking with others in your business, or how to handle a tough employee.
• Coach:  when you want someone to hold you accountable to your dream, or when you want a collaborator on your goals.  Contact your coach daily during times of growth and change, even just to check in on progress.  Once a new plan is under way, fewer sessions will help you to maintain perspective, stay focused, and celebrate success.

Do you know of someone who can fill each of these roles for you?  How do you fill these roles for others?