plus the difference between a mentor and a sponsor.
by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know
the practice of mentorship is well known and well established in today’s workplace. a mentor is someone who helps a more junior person learn, develop and achieve her professional goals.
mentoring is the process by which the mentor and mentee work together to identify and help the mentee move toward those goals. but sponsorship is intended specifically to promote career advancement.
more on sponsoring women for leadership: women leaders provide 6 market advantages | why cpa firms need more women | beyond mentoring to sponsorship | protect your protégée from flextime saboteurs | how to keep sex from derailing a sponsorship | ‘soft skills’ advice needed, too | use others to promote your protégée | 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 17 ways sponsors can help protégées | 3 ways to open a sponsorship conversation | what sponsors need from
mentors serve a variety of roles and functions. some of these roles support professional development, socialization and confidence building, while others are directed at career advancement. a mentor may serve several of these functions or only one or two, and many mentors who advocate for their mentees eventually become sponsors.
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