Mentor, Coach or Sponsor?..

Ideally you will have all!

All roles serve a different purpose and will shift and change as you move through your career. I will focus primarily on the roles of mentor and coach in this post. Sponsor separately given it can be a little trickier.

There is often confusion over mentor vs coach and it is very easy for mentor/mentee to slip into a coaching relationship when not intended. They are fundamentally different, however what I have found is that the two can overlap at times and indeed complement each other. Be mindful of cross over, but not so focused on hard separation, at the expense of great conversations.

Some key elements of mentor and coach roles are;

Mentor – longer term and focused on guiding and supporting professional growth. Experience sharing based guidance with the mentee taking responsibility for/driving the agenda.

Coach - usually short term and specific outcome/situation and skill development based. The coach will typically drive the agenda.

Over your career, you will have people around you, who will play certain roles. It is often not until you look back, that you realise the importance and impact, certain people have had. These informal, unintended mentors will appear at different stages in your life.

This said, don’t wait for the “looking back” moment, nor wait for someone to approach you with an offer to mentor you. Never think you no longer need a mentor because you have reached a certain level. Even CEO’s may need a mentor who can provide guidance when there is a challenge or situation, that is new to them.

In the early days of my career, little was spoken of these roles. I had people around me whom I went to when I needed help or advice, however typically I just went along doing whatever I thought was right. I also felt that it would be expected that I knew what I was doing and it would be a sign of weakness to seek guidance. What was I thinking!

It has only been in the last 10 years that I have actively sought out mentors and sponsors and have been comfortable not thinking I have to, or am expected to, know everything.

Many organisations will have formal or informal mentoring and coaching programs. If yours does, grab the opportunity where you can. If not, seek out your own. This sounds easy, however we know it's not that simple. You need to think deeply about this and what you need. Remember to also think beyond your own organisation.

Mentoring is a relatively long term relationship for you both, so there needs to be a strong connection. It needs to be someone who will challenge you and your thinking. Someone you admire, however not “just like you” - you need a different perspective. Someone who will guide you and share their experiences, without “fixing things” for you.

If you need coaching to help develop a particular skill or to help you deliver on an important project, ask your coach to really challenge you and hold you to account.

Don’t always think “up” when it comes to coaching or mentoring. Reverse mentoring is common, in particular sharing and understanding areas relating to technology. I remember recently sitting through a new technology presentation in Shanghai and being in awe of the 20 something year old presenters.

There is always something new to learn – continue to be curious right throughout your career.

Asking someone to take on these roles can be uncomfortable. Be brave – the worst outcome will be that they don't have the time to commit to it, and will say no. There will always be someone willing to give their time - be patient.

These incredibly important people will change over the years as you develop. You will have key people who will be your lifetime mentors and guides. These will be special relationships and they will really want to know how your career and life is progressing.They will have invested their time and genuinely care.

Find your mentors, coaches and sponsors early in your career. I cannot emphasise how important this will be to you. Maybe use your next “meeting with self” time to work through this.

Two more things.. Whatever you do, do not squander or take lightly the time and effort given by your mentor. They are investing in you – make it count. Finally, as your career progresses, you will be sought out for your experience and skills and asked to be a mentor, coach, sponsor, or maybe all three. Be generous with your time - make a difference to someone else.

Until next time

Lisa