Mentor to Sponsor: The Next Level for career advancement
A mentor can be a sponsor and vice versa. A sponsor reaches beyond giving feedback and advice and leverages power and influence to advocate for the mentee. Mentoring relationships can and do exist outside organizational contexts. However, formal mentoring often occurs inside organizations as part of a human resource initiative. Moreover, informal mentoring can have equally, if not more, significant benefits for protégés and mentors. The importance of “whom you know” when pursuing high-level positions within an organization will not be discounted by a sponsor.
