Co-Journeying
Mind the Positive is a channel of information and wisdom, for balance, fulfillment and wholeness. It takes various pathways to facilitate individuals towards exploring and reaching own potential. Co-Journeying, among other services –mentoring, coaching, training and workshops, assessment and consultancy, in particular, is a one-to-one inner-work process that serves that purpose.
Co-Journeying is an approach to supporting and walking alongside a journeyer in their life journey, characterized by genuine presence, mutual learning, and shared growth. Rather than taking the role of an expert or authority, the process of co-journeying emphasizes being a companion who listens deeply, learns alongside, and offers authentic support.
As Coaching and Mentoring processes, Co-Journeying may be regarded as the applied component of positive psychology, that facilitates individuals to explore and achieve their potential. Despite common features, Co-Journeying differs from Mentoring and Coaching.
Mentoring is “off-line help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking” (Clutterbuck, David & Megginson, David, Mentoring Executives and Directors, 1999, p. 3).
Coaching is “a process that enables learning and development to occur and thus performance to improve. To be a successful a Coach requires a knowledge and understanding of process as well as the variety of styles, skills and techniques that are appropriate to the context in which the coaching takes place” (Parsloe, Eric, The Manager as Coach and Mentor, 1999, p. 8).
Co-journeying is “a shared growth journey between equals, where one (the co-journeyer) walks alongside another (the journeyer) without judgment, supporting their personal development through deep listening and genuine care. Like a trusted traveling companion, the co-journeyer helps by being fully present, offering sincere support, and serving the other’s growth needs while growing themselves. Both commit to exploring life’s questions together, with each respecting other’s choices and direction” (Ender Buyukbay, Shirli, 2024).
Both coaching and mentoring, as well as co-journeying, are developmental relationships that facilitate individuals in exploring their needs, motivations, desires, skills and thoughts, for making real and lasting change. Each approach offers unique characteristics and value.
Mentoring takes place where an older and wiser colleague (mentor) passes on knowledge, experience, and opens doors, pathways and networks to help the individual reaching aspired goals. It requires formal occupational role and experience in the field.
Coaching process is based on a defined coaching skill-set, rather than experience or formal occupational role, where a trained and certified professional (coach) facilitates the individual along the path in exploring and reaching aspired goals.
Co-journeying encompasses and transcends both mentoring and coaching while adding its own unique dimension. A co-journeyer flexibly embodies all three roles: sharing wisdom and opening doors when needed (mentoring), utilizing facilitative skills when appropriate (coaching), while maintaining the fundamental stance of an equal partner in a judgment-free journey of mutual exploration and growth (co-journeying).
This integrated approach is distinguished by the co-journeyer’s commitment to deep listening, benevolent giving, and servant leadership, where they honor the journeyer’s autonomy while contributing authentically to the shared journey. The co-journeyer adapts their role based on the journeyer’s needs – sometimes mentoring, sometimes coaching, and always maintaining the spirit of mutual discovery and growth.
Mentor & Coach & Co-Journeyer
Mentor: Focuses solely on sharing wisdom and opening doors from experience
Coach: Focuses solely on facilitating growth through professional skills and techniques
Co-journeyer: Integrates mentoring and coaching capabilities while maintaining an equal, judgment-free partnership of mutual growth
Ultimately a Mentor, a Coach or a Co-Journeyer…
- Facilitates individual in exploration of needs, motivations, desires, skills and thoughts, for making real and lasting change.
- Uses questioning techniques to facilitate individuals into a thought process, to identify action plans and methods to follow towards goal achievement. Directive approach is avoided!
- Observes, listens and asks questions, in a non-judgmental way, to facilitate individual to be aware and understand the situation.
- Encourages setting goals and commitment to action for making progress towards goal achievement.
- Maintains non-judgmental, supportive and positive regard to the views, traits, lifestyle, and aspirations of the individual.
- Manages the relationship –setting the framework, relationship alignment, duration of process, etc. so that individual receives appropriate service level.
- and many more…
What to expect from Co-Journeying?
If you are in search of a one-to-one intervention –rather than a workshop, and are seeking to set new goals, reach the goals you’ve already set, or explore new ventures, a coaching process to work within your personal competence –integrated with minding the positive philosophy, may be appropriate.
Additionally, if you are looking for making progress in a particular field or area of work –education, project management, career, or self-development, and feel the need for experienced facilitation for growth and development towards your goals, a mentoring process may be appropriate.
If you are looking for a process of both sharing wisdom and opening doors when needed (mentoring) and utilizing facilitative skills when appropriate (coaching), while maintaining the fundamental stance of an equal partner in a judgment-free journey of mutual exploration and growth (co-journeying), then contact to book a call.