52 - Mentorship vs. Sponsorship - How You Need Them Both in Your Career

Blended

Today we’re talking, once again, about mentorship. We dove into this huge topic back in episode 48 and covered a lot of ground. But one thing we didn’t talk about was sponsorship.

A few years ago, sponsorship was a topic I didn’t think too much about. But I’ve found myself talking about it more and more on my Women in Supply Chain series, so I decided it was time to take a closer look. And, as organizations strive to create more inclusive and equitable workplaces, it’s important that we do.

Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author of the book Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor said that sponsorship has long been the inside track for white men. Men are 46% more likely than women, and Caucasians are 63% more likely than professionals of color, to have a sponsor seeing to their success.

And those are figures we all have a responsibility to change.

Our panel will be diving into exactly what mentorship and sponsorship mean, and the difference between the two; the big question of whether or not sponsorship is favoritism; and what leaders and individuals can do to create positive sponsorship experiences that work for everyone.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[01.15] Introductions to our Blended panelists.

· Ahmed – Global Business Development Director at GN TEQ

· Sandy – CEO/Owner at Cahill Consulting Marketing

· Julienne – Principal at J.Ryan Partners

· Doug – VP of Marketing Strategy at Position : Global

· Katie – Senior Vice President of Industry Relations and Strategic Initiatives at Manifest: The Future of Logistics

[08.21] The group discuss what sponsorship and mentorship mean, and the difference between the two.

· Private vs public

· Advocacy

· Mentorship

o Emotional support

o Help and tools

o Teaching/knowledge-sharing

o Boost self-esteem

o ‘Special friend’/cheerleader

o Co-worker

o Organic

o Two-way

o Private relationship

o Fluid

· Sponsorship

o Boss/leader

o Introduce opportunities

o Earned/chosen

o One-way

o Public relationship

o Influence

o Formal

o Reputation – career impact

· Visibility

· Consistency

· Putting in the work

· Setting the foundations

· Contracts

· Goals

· Expectations

· Responsibility

· Passion

· Potential

· Intent

· ‘Personal board of advisors’

· Relationship-building

· Trust

“A mentor is someone that provides advice, support, and coaching… A mentor falls in the private relationship side of things, and sponsorship becomes much more public… Looking at that full spectrum is really important.” Katie

“A sponsor can open doors for opportunity. A mentor provides the tools; supports the person and guides so they can open those doors.” Sandy

“With sponsorship, the number one implied rule is that, if somethings comes of this as the person being sponsored, you’re going to do a great job and make the sponsor look good.” Doug

“We’ve been going through a lot of lay-offs, a lot of transitions. We can’t depend on just one person to champion us… I coach people to make themselves visible to multiple people who could advocate for them. And the more you have somebody validating this persons worth, the more chance they have to move ahead. They’re no longer one person’s favorite.” Julienne

[39.21] The panel reflect on whether or not sponsorship is favoritism, and how we challenge leaders to create a more level playing field across both corporate and small to medium sized environments.

· Bias

· Formal programs

· Managing connections in SMEs versus corporate

· Resources

· Education

[51.39] The group explore what individuals can do to open up conversations and create sponsorship opportunities; and they share their personal experiences of sponsorship and what we can learn.

· Confidence/self-doubt

· Imposter syndrome

· Authenticity

· Initiative

· Writing down goals

· Sharing achievements

· Asking questions

· Self-advocacy

· Understanding your ‘why’

· ‘Ladder approach’

· Understanding/learning different communication styles

· Honesty

· Respect

· Empathy

· Grace

· Listening

· Be brave

· Be proactive

· Be prepared

· Be humble

“Every six months or so, jot down what you’ve done – it’s so easy to forget about your accomplishments… When you’ve got the facts behind you, it’s easier to advocate for yourself. Your advocacy is based in accomplishments and objectivity, not just ‘I want.’” Doug

“It’s a matter of asking for advice… Be prepared, do your homework. Instead of personalizing it, take a moment to step back and assess: What is your next step? What would really push you forward?” Julienne

[01.16.05] The panel sum-up their thoughts from today’s discussion.

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:

You can connect with Ahmed, Sandy, Julienne, Doug, and Katie over on LinkedIn.

From Ancient Greece to Contemporary Success: The Unstoppable Rise of Mentorship - Episode 48