Coaching and Mentoring Skills: Volksbank Romania Case Study

This report examines coaching and mentoring skills in the workplace, focusing on their purpose, similarities, and differences. It explores the benefits of coaching and mentoring for individual workplace effectiveness, using a case study of Volksbank Romania. The report defines a model of coaching and mentoring, specifically the GROW model, and assesses the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors needed for effective coaching and mentoring. It highlights the importance of coaching for short-term performance improvement and mentoring for long-term employee development, emphasizing the role of both in fostering a positive work environment and enhancing employee skills and knowledge. The report concludes by underscoring the significance of these practices in achieving organizational objectives and promoting employee growth within the company.

COACHING AND
MENTORING SKILLS FOR
THE WORKPLACE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASKS.............................................................................................................................................1
Purpose of coaching, mentoring and skills and similarities and differences between coaching
and mentoring..............................................................................................................................1
Model of Coaching and Mentoring..............................................................................................5
Critically evaluation of benefits of Mentoring and Coaching for developing workplace
effectiveness of individuals.......................................................................................................11
Critically explore the knowledge, skills, attitude and behaviours needed by an effective
workplace coach or mentor........................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Coaching and mentoring at the workplace refers to the enhancing and devolving both the
personal and professional skills. Therefore, this leads to improve professionalism in respective
work. It helps to bring a concentrate and positive change in an organization. Coaching helps to
transfer the knowledge to the individuals for improving their performance. Mentoring is essential
for the growth of the staff. Coaching skills are goal setting, empathizing, giving feedback,
checking, intuitive and questioning.
The study is based on Volksbank Romania. There are in total 1099 independent
Volksbanken in the Germany. It is type of insurance and finance industry. The bank is founded
in the year 1840. The headquarters are situated in Berlin in Germany. Bank provides financial
services to its clients.
The report will explicate the purpose of coaching and mentoring skills at the workplace.
It will explain the difference and similarities of the mentoring and coaching activities in an
organization. Furthermore, it will define model of mentoring and coaching. Therefore,
assignment will critically evaluate the benefits of developing the individually effectiveness at the
workplace. Lastly, Critical evaluation will be done to explore skills, knowledge, behaviours and
attitude that are needed for doing effective workplace mentoring and coaching.
TASKS
Purpose of coaching, mentoring and skills and identifying difference between coaching and
mentoring
Coaching is the process that help in improving performance of employees in the
company. This help in bring awareness among an individual regarding its strength and weakness
that enhance change in personality of person and building skills to compete with others (Lyonss
and Pastore, 2016). Training is being provided to employee that help in facilitate increasing
knowledge that provide in the future. It is related to checking performance of employee by
taking feedback from other employees.
Mentoring means sharing personal experience, skills, knowledge that help other people in
learning something new and helpful for it in performing task to its fullest potential. It can be
formal or informal in that changes may take place according to changes in need of mentee. This
consist of two elements such as mentor and mentee. Mentor guide its mentee and help in
fulfilling its skills and knowledge that is required for performing a task. As in Volkbank
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Romania mentor improves skills of its mentee so that it will be able to perform task in the future.
In this development of an employee will be taken place in the company.
Purpose
The main focus of coaching that involves individual skills and knowledge for performing
task in Volkbank Romania. It also helps in enabling development and transfer of knowledge and
building skills that is necessary for completing work in the company. In these skills can be
developed from new abilities and competencies that is applied into business for the future. This
provide learning of various concepts and principles as it is important in managing learning that
will be provided through coaching (Ross-Sheriff and Orme, 2017). Similarly, mentoring is
provided to improve skills and knowledge that help in enhancing growth for the future.
Henceforth, it is important in providing different aspects that will benefited for the future
purpose in business. Similarly, through mentoring that help in gaining knowledge from
experienced person that provide various aspect to employees of Volkbank Romania. Different
approaches that is used in gaining different sources that will be helpful in mentoring various
aspects that used in various aspect for the future course of action. Through coaching skills and
knowledge enhance of an employee that lead to gain opportunities and providing various aspect
for the future. At the end (or before the end) of the programme, all progress should be checked
against the agreed criteria. If employees skills are meeting with work culture that enhance future
growth and bring more opportunities. Therefore, coaching is important as it help in providing
different structure to employees.
Main purpose of mentoring is to improve skills and knowledge that help in achieving
objectives of business. There are various segments that will be provided different segments that
help in getting different perspective for overcoming various aspect in different perspective.
Mentoring is providing positive attitude towards men-tee that provide various opportunities in
coaching-and-mentoring and fulfil its purpose in changing various aspects. There are different
segments that help in gaining various aspect that provide various aspect in the future (Garvey,
2019). Various approaches are implemented that help in gaining different perspective through
which organizational system is organized in the company. It is important in taking mentoring
seriously that help in gaining experience from people. It provides career growth for employees as
they are helpful in providing different segments in the company. There are various entities that is
implemented into Volkbank Romania for achieving success and fulfilling knowledge of
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employees in the company. It is providing different perspective that will be gaining various
segment in the company for future. As coaching is for short duration as compared to mentoring
that is for longer period of time.
Similarities between mentoring and coaching
Both provide a learning to an employee in the company. These help in development of an
individual through different types of learning that is provided during coaching and mentoring.
Through this insight learning will be build in learning that facilitate in providing various changes
in the company. Skills and knowledge both will be enhanced through coaching and mentoring.
Both these help in achieving objective and building an employee that able to meet at its fullest
potential (Thompson and Cox, 2017). In Volkbank Romania both will be provided to employees
as existing employees are providing coaching for enhancing skills according to change in work
culture. This help in ensuring that expectation of mentors and coaches meet so that help in
achieving objective of the company. From both these elements knowledge will be improved and
getting experience to do work in the company. There are different perspective that will be taken
into consideration as various segments take place in advance and providing different perspective
for the future.
Through coaching and mentoring different knowledge is getting and take into
consideration that help in managing various segments in the future. It is important that
improvement in skills and abilities that focuses on achieving objective of Volkbank Romania.
Various teaching styles that help in facilitating different aspect for the future in building
efficient employees (Fairhurst, Bloom and Harvey, 2017). In companies feedback is taken to
check performance of employees and accordingly their skills will be enhanced and help in future
growth and opportunities. In mentoring personal experience will be shared with employees so
that they are providing different aspect in future course of action. As it is important in providing
various aspect that will be gaining various aspect for the future. To communicate with other team
members, Propose ideas, share the workload and for offering help to colleagues without having
to be asked coaching is important. Both these practices is applied into an organization that
enhance future growth and opportunities in the company. There are various segments that will be
providing different aspect in taking both these in getting involved in more activities of business.
Both of them help in growth and enhance work culture as employees are familiar with working
environment so that they are doing effective and efficient work (Rosha and Lace, 2016).
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Traditional practice is also practices in various organization for improving skills of an employee
and facilitate them in building into various organization as its is important in gaining different
perspective. In Volkbank Romania mentor is providing full knowledge to employees that provide
various aspect in the future. It is essential in providing coaching and mentoring that build relation
with employees and enhance communication for the future purpose. There are various
perspective as gaining skills and knowledge that provide future aspect in the company. In
mentoring they are giving feedback to their mentee on completing work for the future course of
action. Through these employees get aware that they have to build abilities and competencies for
emerging into various segments in the company. It is important in building skills for the future.
Difference between coaching and mentoring
Coaching Mentoring
It is task oriented that will be focusing on
issues that arises in business and solve them in
effective manner. It also provides
understanding of think strategically that help in
developing skills for the future.
It is relationship oriented that provide a safe
environment that help in mentoring different
perspective for the future.
It is organized for short period of time in the
company to facilitate in providing knowledge
to employee that lead to improve skills for
future growth in company (Thomas, Thomas
and Firestone, 2015).
This is related to long period of time as both
mentor and mentee needs them to understand
each other's perspective that will be able to
provide different aspects in an organization.
Through coaching performance of an employee
will be improved that enhance skills that is
suitable for working in Volkbank Romania.
In this development of an employee is taken
into consideration that help in reducing conflict
between employees.
For providing coaching to employees different
there is no need of designing that help in
facilitating various aspect that is beneficial for
the future purpose in the company.
In mentoring designing is required that help in
facilitating in providing different aspect in
business (Bozer, Joo and Santora, 2015).
In coaching directly manager is involved in
providing feedback to employees.
In mentoring manager is not directly involved
in giving feedback to employees that provide
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improvement in its work.
Structured meeting will be arranged between
employees and trainee that is taking coaching
of an employee.
Informal meetings can be taken to meet needs
of mentee.
In coaching coach is not having experience in
providing training to employees that facilitate
in providing different aspect in the
organization.
In mentoring they are having experience and
providing it to their mentee for future purpose.
In this agenda is being set to fulfil specific and
immediate goal of the company (Thompson
and Cox, 2017).
In this agenda is set by mentee as providing to
support to its mentor in preparing future roles
in Volkbank Romania.
In coaching coach is expertise in certain fields
that help students in learning more things from
coaching.
In mentoring mentor is having experience that
will be provided to employees.
Its main objective is to evaluate performance
of an employee in the company.
The main objective of coaching is to provide
an employee effectiveness in doing work in the
company (Carroll and Barnes, 2015).
Model
Coaching and Mentoring both are crucial for developing and enhancing the individual's
skills in an organization. Mentoring refers to nurturing and identifying the potential of the
employees in Volksbank whereas coaching is performed in the organization for the improvement
of specific skills of the employees. It is helpful for encouraging the positive attitude towards the
learning. Positive attitude also helps in motivating the persons to give their best and try to
maximise the performance. Mentoring is helpful for encouraging the team commitment in
Volksbank. Thus, Grow model is being used to perform mentoring and coaching in Volksbank
Romania.
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GROW Model
This model is being used for goal setting and to solve problems in Volksbank. It provides
a framework that is powerful and methodological (Grow Model, 2019). This model describes
four stages of mentoring and coaching session. This model consist of Goal, Reality, Opportunity
and Way forward.
Goal – In this stage, the goal is being set in Volksbank Romania. This is priority of any
organization to achieve the goals. Thus, the goals is being agreed, discussed and objectives is
being set by the mentor or coach in an organization (Thomas, Thomas and Firestone, 2015). The
aims of the organization can be short term and outcomes should be clearly evaluated by the
mentors and coach. Goals must be Smart that means, Specific, Accurate, Measurable, Timely
and Realistic. The mentors set the goals that inspires the individual to perform better in the
organization.
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Illustration 1: Grow Model
Source : (Grow Model, 2019)
Illustration : Grow Model
Source : (Grow Model, 2019)

Reality – In this, Coach and mentee discuss and outlines the reality of any situation in an
organization. Variety of techniques and methods is being used by the Mentors and Coach that is
appropriate for the current situation in the bank. The coach in Volksbank firstly invite the client
to asses their own condition, and then they offer advice and give feedback that is specific and
relevant in accordance with their current situation (Terryand Ghosh, 2015). The coach is trying
to identify the situation, instead of the problems in the organization. Assumption is made by
coach that is based on the reality of the client and their future goals.
Opportunity – When reality and obstacles to the situation is being discussed, after that mentor
and coach evaluate the outcomes to the problem and examine how to overcome the current
situation in the Volksbank. The suggestions are being invited from the client to resolve the
problems. The suggestions are given by the mentor and coach that can be considered by the
client for their overall development. In this stage, the coach in the bank insures that choices have
been made to overcome the obstacles. Immediate actions are being taken by identifying the
current problems in Volksbank.
Way forward – This refers to the final stage when client commits to achieve their goal by
decisive actions. The coach guides their mentees on the basis of the ideas that is being discussed
earlier. For make the progress achievable timings and guidelines is being determined by the
coach (Ross-Sheriff and Orme, 2017). Subsequent solutions is being set by identifying the
potential obstacles that can be encountered. Mentee and Mentor remains flexible during this
process. After discussing both the positive and negative events in Volksbank, goals is being set.
Management and Leadership – This model is being incorporated in managerial and leadership
practices in the variety of industry. This is used for establishing systematic and methodological
process. Through this, effectiveness and efficiency of the internal coaching practices can be
improved. For providing solutions to the problem the Grow model is helpful. For improving the
workplace performance, this method is significant. Coaching is being provided to Vollsbank
employees so that they are able to take greater responsibility over the obstacles and for setting
goals in their lives.
Stages of Grow is being defined in simple term as-
 Goal – This refers to the end point where the client wants to go. The goal is being defined
by the coach in a way that should be clear to its mentees (Rosha and Lace, 2016). The
employees in the organization must know what they want to achieve.
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 Reality – Reality refers to the stage where the client is standing. The current issues,
challenges and obstacles is being identified in this stage. The mentor and coach identifies
that how far they are from the goal.
 Obstacles – The obstacles are in the path that stops the clients from where they want to
go, from where they are present in current scenario (Opengart, and Bierema, 2015). If the
obstacles are removed from the path than they can easily reach towards their goals.
 Options – The clients finds the way to overcome those obstacles and to make progress in
near future. This is said to be options for the client.
 Way forward – The options needs to be converted in the steps of actions that helps the
client to reach towards the goal. This is said to be as Way forward.
ACHIEVE Coaching model
This model is build upon the pillars of Grow Model. This model is inspired by the
thinkers namely, Alan Fine, John Whitmore and Graham Alexander. It is systematic tool for
conducting coaching in an organization (Achieve model, 2019). This is a systematic and
methodical framework. This model includes feedback reactivity in comparison to the Grow
model. To attain sustainable and measurable resultant for the clients, this model is being
introduced. The motive behind this model is to increase trust between the coach and client.
Through applying seven stages of achieve model the Volksbank is able to guide their employees.
Assessment of current situation – This is the first stage of this process. The mentor encouraged
their Mentee to think about the current situation (Min and et.al., 2015). The self awareness gets
increased among the individual at the workplace. Mentee reflects the current issues in order to
discourse the future actions. Mentor thinks that what actions they need to take in order to resolve
the employee's problems in Volksbank.
Creative Brainstorming – For broaden the Meentes perspective and for doing behavioural
change in the Volksbank, brainstorming is being done. The mentor identifies creative solutions
for resolving the current change in the organization. Brainstorming is done to examine the
solutions to the problem that is not seemed by the mentee on previously basis.
Hone goals – From the alternative solutions the mentee of Volksbank develop the specific goal
for the whole team. The suggestions is given by the mentor to its mentee through smart which is
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specific, realistic, measurable, accurate and timely (Lyons and Pastore, 2016). The goals are
being set and feedbacks are given to the client by its coach during this stage. Individuals are
focused on what they need to do rather than what they wish to be happened. Negative thinking is
replaced by the positive one by the coach. Thus, the coach ensures that negative thinking doesn't
occur in employees mind in Volksbank.
Option generation – The goals need to be considered by the Mentor before implementing in the
Volksbank. Possible options are developed by the mentor for resolving the client issues. Instead
of focusing or seeking a right way the mentors in Volksbank increased the volume of the options.
Mentor of the Volksbank focuses on the quality of the goals rather than achieving a single action.
Evaluation of options – The options which are generated on previous basis are now assessed,
prioritized and scrutinized in Volksbank. Coach guides the client to achieve the organizational
goals (Garvey, 2019).
Programme design – This is the time to turn the options into the action plan. This approach is
developed in order to break the goals in small and specific objectives. Mentee commits that the
achievable steps for action in the deadlines must be cleared.
Encourage impulse – It is considered as to be the final stage that work as to motivate
individuals towards the goals and between the coaching sessions. This leads them to perform
their best at their level. This is often find helpful as ity aids to keep individual remain motivated
towards their goal (Fairhurst,, Bloom and Harvey, 2017 ). Thus, mentor must have the ability to
provide the positive sight of each task so that altogether they can meet out the set targets.
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Illustration 2: Achieve model
Source : (Achieve model, 2019)

Critically evaluation of benefits of Mentoring and Coaching for developing workplace
effectiveness of individuals
As per the view point of Cole, 2015, it is stated that Mentoring is helpful for increasing
knowledge of an individual and aids to have team commitment by achieving the set and desired
goals. Better monitoring and coaching skills within the people aid to have better and improved
communication level. In order to bring innovative changes within the enterprise this is very
essential to set up the bets environment of monitoring. This is very systematic way that aids to
individuals to gain and develop the depth insight about the activities of the enterprise. Mentor
can monitor the activities of the staff and provide clear direction that aids to accomplish the
target goals. Ineffective monitoring can affect the working of the staff and this leads to hamper
the image of the enterprise.
According to Cleary and Horsfall, 2015, it is stated that the aims of coaching and
mentoring both are the source that aid to have good management at enterprise. These both are
crucial as it aids to maximize the staff potential. It is the term that is inclusive of things as to
listen, openness to innovative ideas , idealistic way of thinking and to encourage people to get
involved working environment. Henceforth, the better guidance and monitoring aids to people to
get engaged in each activity and perform their role as to achieve the organizational goals.
As per the view point of Carroll and Barnes, 2015, it is stated that coaching provides
individuals and teams with opportunities for gaining new skills and helps in personality
development. It offers learning opportunities geared to individual needs in Vollksbank. To
encourage a positive attitude towards learning, coaching plays crucial role. It is helpful for
increasing the employee's engagement in Volksbank. It also provides deeper learning to the
employees in an organization.
According to Bozer Joo and Santora, 2015, it is stated that feedback mechanism during
mentoring helps the individual to do self assessment and to make further improvements in their
performance. Any problem in Volksbank can easily be resolved through efficient mentoring and
guidance. This also enables the mentor to evaluate individual performance in organization and
for giving honest feedback to the individual's. Thus, through this overall efficiency of the
organization and individuals is being improved in Volksbank.
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Critically evaluate skills, knowledge, attitude and behaviours needed by an effective workplace.
Knowledge is being the condition to aware of something as it is the cognitive processing of
information it involves recall, recognition, understanding, application and considered as different
evaluation of facts, patterns and concepts. Knowledge is being measured from written as well as
oral exams where the person explain the facts and knowledge what they possess in an
organisation. Knowledge in the workplace is the fact and concept that forms the foundation for
the ability to apply skills and perform tasks in order to modify the attitude. Such as a person is
being need to learn about the ingredients and the steps that is being involved in making the
knowledge before they actually perform the task in making them skill (Cleary and Horsfall,
2015). Knowledge is very important in workplace as it is the sum of his or her learning acquired
from over the period. By acquiring the knowledge, person's level of intelligence and it is the
ability to understand various concepts and improve. In other terms as more the person learns the
more they increase their knowledge and the more they can apply in future learning. If the person
is having the experience of long term in particular field than he has the perception to understand
the things in well mannered at the same it is equally difficult to measure the persons' attitude for
training.
Skills are something that decide about the ability to perform the particular task at
workplace, it includes the work that is being performed by an individual (Opengart and Bierema,
2015) . Therefore, skills is being provided proficiency as well as techniques. An individual skill
partly may founded in his or her natural abilities. However, competency as well as the
proficiency in the execution of skills is being required the practice, experience and training. In
Volksbank Romania more the person practices the specific skill, better they become. Skills are
being the competencies that have been learned through the transfer of knowledge and the way to
perform the task and then it begins physical in performing the task (Cole, 2015). Skills are being
different from knowledge as it is considered as prerequisite to skills and they must have the
knowledge regarding how to perform the task before it performing the task. Knowledge and
skills are closely interrelated to each other but still it is different for example a person would
learn the steps to send email and it is considered as knowledge while physically send email is
considered as skill.
In Volksbank Romania attitude of the employees are very important as it reflects the
company image and the attitude of the person towards the particular task affects feelings, values
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etc (Cole, 2015). Hence, the attitude of person towards the given task influences their
performance. Positive attitude also helps in motivating the persons to give their best and try to
maximise the performance. Attitude is one of the important factors as the development or the
adjustment of person attitude after it is being formed to take the considerable amount of time as
well as efforts. There are different attitude of the person as it has been formed for significant
amount of time and also it is difficult to measure the feelings of the person towards as well as
perception about something (Cleary and Horsfall, 2015). Attitude of employees is being even
more difficult to measure the feelings of persons towards it and measures how much change is
being occurred towards the attitude of persons as a result of training and educational activities.
Behaviour need in workplace is that as every workplace is having the different
atmosphere, different environment and having different ethical standard. An efficient as well as
different concept is involved that is being created, largely in the way people behave in the
workplace. (Min and et.al., 2015). This also includes the behaviour of employees, employers and
to, some extent to customers as well as clients. This may range from using the ordinary social
skills that is being polite to other members of staff that are being extra-ordinary cooperative as
well as helpful for the other members in group at the time when it is being faced with the tight
deadline. Employees of Volksbank Romania are being given the training that they must be have
the visibly passionate to be a good employees having the joy at their around. They also exude
positivity and having the attitude that they can do it. It does not mean that they can not ask the
questions regarding how the things is to be done, but they have to do it in the way that
encourages discussion and not having the behaviour about complaining as they also attract other
people around them (Terry and Ghosh, 2015). They also not to have constraint about their job
titles as it is one of the worst thing that can ever happened to a team as it create tight job
descriptions and can manage the people against them. As the effective employees of organization
not only stand by and watch the failure and the poor work being done, delegate the work with
others just not because that it is not in their job descriptions.
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CONCLUSION
From the above project report it has been concluded that coaching and mentoring both
plays crucial role to improve overall efficiency of the workplace. Mentoring refers as primarily
various approaches that is taught to enhance knowledge. Coaching refers as to making
improvements in performance of the individual in specific areas. It assists managers to encourage
team building in an organization. It has been summarized that coaching and monitoring help
managers to become a source of support rather than a threat for Volksbank.
Therefore, report has focused on coaching that aids to meet out the set goals. It has been
concluded that skills are being the competencies that have been learned through the transfer of
knowledge and the way to perform the task and then it begins physical in performing the tasks.
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