Mentorship vs. Sponsorship

We recently re-watched Hamilton in my house and it got me thinking about mentorship and sponsorship in organizations.

There is no shortage of business literature sharing the benefits of having mentoring relationships throughout your career. Whether formal or informal, mentorship is a great opportunity to gain role or industry specific insight as you navigate your professional development. Mentors are excellent for helping individuals develop specific skill sets and can move into a more coaching role. However, mentoring alone won't get you to the next level. 

A growing area of focus has been to provide and set up sponsorship in organizations. your mentor may be able to give you feedback to succeed in your role, however it's your sponsor who nominates you for the next opportunity. Research has shown that mentors, while helpful, do not always translate into meaningful career advancement because they are not, as Hamilton would say, in the room where it happens.

A sponsor is not only at decision making tables where high performers are recognized and identified for new opportunities, but they also put your name out there. They are your advocate and champion when you are not present. Yes, your work product and attitude will speak for you at the time of selection, however when there are many other high potential candidates in the mix, how can you ensure that you are in the top pool?

A common misconception is that if you simply do your job and do it well, then you will be recognized and rewarded. While there are some organizations that have advanced systems to identify and promote individuals based on their contributions, it is fairly uncommon. In most organizations, there are layers of politics and bureaucracy to navigate as you want to advance their career. While not impossible to learn these systems, it's a lot easier with a guide. Formal or informal mentoring relationships can easily be developed and provide great benefit as you are new in the organization.

As time progresses, it is important to assess whether the individual you have identified is a mentor or a sponsor. Are they in decision-making roles about assignments and new opportunities? Is their opinion sought after to identify new talent and rising leadership? Is their unit regularly producing leaders who move onto roles inside or outside of the organization? This last question is a key indicator of whether they are a mentor or sponsor. sponsors try to find opportunities within the organization for their sponsors that are career progressions. Mentors often develop their mentees whether or not the company can provide an opportunity and it may mean they leave the organization without an internal opportunity.

It takes more than doing your job well to move up. You'll need to demonstrate value to the organization by showing you are willing to invest extra energy to other internal initiatives and have coaching and mentorship along the way. Last but not least, you will need an internal sponsor who can also bring up your name when it matters most: in the room where it happens. 

We’d love to hear your examples of how you partner with mentors/sponsors and share them with our community. Lastly, please Like, Comment, and Share this article with anyone you think could use this information!