Spot The Difference: Coach, Mentor, Sponsor - What's The Difference And Why Do They Matter?

If you’ve been in the game a while you’ve likely heard the terms “Coach”, “Mentor”, and “Sponsor” touted around as key people to support your career development. It’s possible you have some or even all of these either in an informal or formal capacity but you don’t necessarily know the difference between each. We’re going to take some time to walk through each of these roles, the benefits of each, and how you can ensure you find the right fit for you.

What’s the difference?

A Sponsor is a colleague (usually senior) who advocates for you when you’re not in the room. They’ll often leverage their network to help you obtain key career enhancing opportunities.

A Mentor is someone who has typically traversed the road you are following and, as a result of their experience, can give you advice and guidance regarding your career. They’ll also serve as a sounding board for dilemmas and decisions that arise along the way.

A Coach is an independent professional who holds you accountable regarding your career goals and, through listening and enquiry, helps you achieve them. They don’t have to have the same technical experience or background as you and won’t ordinarily give you advice. While you will have individuals (e.g. a manager) who can coach you intermittently, this role is usually carried out by someone employed in a professional capacity.

What’s the benefit?

All three are beneficial to your growth and development. For example having a Sponsor means you can be sure that your hard work gets visibility and is able to translate to key opportunities. Meanwhile a mentor ensures they have someone who can resonate with you and understand exactly where you’re at while being able to give you astute insights on what steps to take as well as pitfalls to steer clear of.

There will however be times where you want someone completely independent who is free of bias and can help you look at things objectively. That’s where a Coach is advantageous. They’ll help you identify the most appropriate goals for your career by looking at the bigger picture, then hold up a mirror to you in order to keep you focused and motivated in successfully attaining them.

How to find the right fit

It’s possible you have these in your network already either formally or informally. Or you may have identified that you don’t have some or any of these and would like to form these relationships. Here are some key points to consider.

Credentials are a helpful aspect to consider across all three roles. You want someone who is reputable, has the relevant qualifications and/or experience to be confident you get the best support.

Chemistry is an additional important factor - don’t opt for someone simply because of their reputation or other cosmetic factors. Be sure that you genuinely connect with them and they understand your needs.

It’s possible you can have multiple sponsors and mentors in varying degrees of formality. It’s also possible you may have individuals (e.g. managers) who coach you however if you opt for a formal Career Coach you should look to work with one single professional here to avoid duplication and maintain focus.

Take your time with identifying the individuals to support you in these roles. It’s worth noting that you don’t need to get overly fixated on titles and formalities in these relationships, what is important is that you are clear on what support you need and that you leverage the right relationships to help you.

What’s your experience with these three roles? Comment below to share your thoughts.