Mentor, Coach, or Sponsor – Who Does a Mid-Career Woman Need to Get Ahead?
Find the Right Guide for Your Career Advancement in 2021
There is still a broken rung on the promotion path to manager. A consistent trend since 2016, according to Lean In and McKinsey & Company’s Women in the Workplace 2021 report.
Which begs the question: What (or who) do women need to advance?
For starters, let’s debunk a common career descriptor of the successful: Self-made. It’s a lie and a myth. No one is successful solely in their own effort. We don’t live in a vacuum. Rightly so, we depend and thrive with and alongside others.
The magic of people helping people is potent. There is something to women (and men) coming together for the sake of growth and support. I know because I’ve experienced the power of community both personally and professionally.
So let’s break down three common career guides whose form and functions are easily entangled and confused.
Mentor
Talking with you.
A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you." — Bob Proctor
Photo by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash
Mentorship is a relationship between two (or more people) who purposefully share knowledge, learning, and expertise to develop themselves toward a particular goal. The hallmark of this type of relationship is that it is mutually beneficial even if the mentor is offering more guidance to the mentee.
Mentorship knows no location parameters. It happens personally and professionally across organizations and among individuals (and even groups).
It looks like: A two-sided relationship, Direct feedback, Knowledge sharing, Problem-solving, and Advice and/or counsel.
Coach
Talking to you.
“Coaching is unlocking people’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.” - John Whitmore
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
A coach is someone who harnesses powerful questions to achieve clarity around a particular objective. The one-sided relationship involves discussion and feedback through assessments, frameworks, and thoughtful questioning to create an action plan for goal achievement.
A coach is hired for a certain purpose and a predetermined length of time. Coaching runs the gamut from personal to professional topics.
It looks like: A one-sided relationship, Powerful Questioning, Reflection, Goal-orientation, Time-bound, Action planning.
Sponsor
Talking about you.
“Sponsorship is about putting your name and reputation on the line for someone else. It could be as simple as recommending someone for a new role, yet it's one of the most powerful cultural tools any organization has.” - Lynne Doughtie
A sponsor is a senior-level executive in your organization who touts your accomplishments and advocates for your advancement in the company. They use their influence to expose you to high-profile assignments, people, and networks. Think of a sponsor as your champion for career visibility and advancement.
Sponsors are an underutilized resource, especially among women who are commonly brimming with mentorship and lacking opportunities in sponsorship, according to Harvard Business Review’s report, "The Sponsor Effect: Breaking Through the Last Glass Ceiling." The “who you know” concept is typically perceived as smarmy among women, but a sponsor can contribute to 22-30% of career benefits like stretch assignments, promotions and/or increased compensation.
It looks like: A long-term, two-sided relationship, Advocate, Increasing visibility, Exposure, Endorsement
“Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.”, as Brené Brown says. Harnessing the distinct characteristics of these three career guides will enable you to thrive with the right people along your career journey to reach your goals.
So, be kind to yourself and invite the right people in.
References: Don’t Just Mentor Women and People of Color. Sponsor Them., Difference between Mentoring, Coaching & Sponsorship, Mentorship vs. Coaching vs. Sponsorship - Finally Explained