Generally a mentor can provide experience, poise, judgement and expertise, networks - particularly if you are in unfamiliar territory. There are a number of mentor types that you might consider and they are not all the same. An individual mentor should be:

1. Someone you respect
2. Someone without another agenda
3. Is readily available
4. Ideally doesn’t charge a fee
5. Has different skills to you
6. Has broad experience
7. Will be honest with you and you with him/her
8. Will be ecstatic in your happiness

There is also a Business Coach. I differentiate between a “business coach” and an “executive coach”, A business coach is defined as a person skilled in a variety of corporate competencies who works with a CEO, senior manager, or nominee, to make better and more effective organisational and business decisions thus delivering improved organisational and business outcomes. Although aligned to a specific client, the business coach may be seconded (or “lent”) to another executive or manager to help them with their own area of responsibility for a project or limited time.

An Executive Coach is focused on the senior executive to largely, but not necessarily exclusively; help him/her deal with the issues that confront senior executives in large corporations. These issues are more intense, complex and involve greater career implications than the business coach environment. Unlike the business coach who may be “lent” around the organisation, the executive coach is client dedicated. Also unlike the business coach who is often seen as an informal member of the management team, the executive coach “belongs” to the client exclusively.

A Life Coach is a person who provides encouragement, direction, motivation and support to an individual seeking improvement in life as a whole. Career or profession form only part of the focus of a life coach, who sees career as a means to an end, rather than the end in itself. In the words of one coach, “A Life Coach is your own personal cheer squad, guide, mentor and motivator engaged with you to plan, create, solve and focus your energy on your goals.”

A Skills Coach is a person who provides specific “teaching” of defined required capabilities. Once the required skills are taught and demonstrably applied by the client, the coaching program is complete. Some skills coaching relationships extend informally after the formal relationship has concluded. The coach continues to act as sounding board or “mentor” for the student on matters relating to the taught skills.

An "Oracle Mentor" is much like a business and executive coach with the following differences:

1. The oracle mentor acts either for a relatively small fee or gratis, depending on the circumstance;
2. In some cases, oracle mentors acting in a private capacity exchange their managerial skill for equity in the helped entity;
3. The oracle mentor is often a retired or semi-retired individual who is driven not by a financial benefit, but by a desire to “give back” by helping others succeed;
4. Because of the benevolent nature of the mentor’s motivation, the mentor and client meet infrequently even though the mentor is happy to help by phone or email if the client requires urgent advice – although this is not common;
5. The oracle mentor represents wisdom and experience and is often a last resort for the client, rather than one who gets involved early in the client’s issues.

A Mentor-In-Confidence (MIC) is the highest level professional mentor available in the counselling market and is an amalgam of business coach, life coach, executive coach and oracle mentor. The MIC provides senior managers and directors in large corporations with confidential advice (hence the name) and technical support in a manner that is invisible to the client’s organisation and staff but with the approval of the Board of that organisation. This is normally a fairly expensive service.