Mentoring and consulting

The difference between mentoring and consulting lies in the emphasis between relationship and solution. A consultant often comes to offer an expert solution to a particular problem; when the job is done, the relationship ends too. A mentor, rather than solving a problem, accompanies the mentee's development over the long term; the relationship itself is at the center of the process. Consulting is transaction-oriented, mentoring is relationship-oriented. One answers a question, the other accompanies a person.