Breaking Through

Chapter 2Mentoring and Sponsoring: The Keys to Success

MENTORING AND SPONSORING ARE COMPELLING in the context of the new economy because they are consistently effective in helping women get ahead. This is true regardless of participants' specific objectives, industries, or roles. To understand why this is the case, let's first look at what mentoring and sponsoring actually are.

Mentoring covers a vast range of programs and schemes. At its core, mentoring is a relationship between the mentor and the mentee. It's based on mutual respect, total confidentiality, and a shared understanding of how to achieve the mentee's objectives. Mentors use their own professional experience to advise mentees on how to accelerate their careers or achieve their entrepreneurial goals. Sponsoring is a step beyond mentoring—it's mentoring taken to the next level: the sponsor champions the mentee, suggests and supports their promotions, puts them forward for positions of responsibility and, especially for entrepreneurs, opens doors, acts as a reference, uses their networks to create opportunities, and then supports them to take these opportunities. In sponsoring, sponsors risk their own reputations and effectively put their necks on the line.

Sponsoring is a step beyond mentoring—it's mentoring taken to the next level… In sponsoring, sponsors…effectively put their own necks on the line.

The benefits of mentoring and sponsoring are tangible. Take the example of small businesses in the United States. ...