Nurturing Talent: Unveiling the Dynamics of Coaching, Mentorship, and Career Sponsorship

Evgeniya Tikhonova, Head of Talent Management & DEI at Hilti

In today's dynamic business landscape, professionals are becoming well-versed in the concepts of coaching and mentoring, leveraging these tools to drive their professional growth. However, a new phrase, ‘career sponsorship,’ is gaining prominence, prompting inquiries. In this article, we'll explore the essence of each developmental tool, explain their distinctive characteristics, and highlight their collective impact on individuals and organizations.

Mentorship: Sharing Wisdom and Experience

I like the expression that a mentor is like a cobbler with shoes.

Mentoring represents a mutually enriching relationship in the business realm, where the mentor imparts personal experiences and knowledge to the mentee, fostering the development of their leadership potential. It's akin to saying, "Here's what I've done—consider my experiences. What strategic steps are you contemplating?"

Unlike business coaching, which focuses on skill enhancement and performance improvement, mentorship encompasses a broader spectrum of developmental domains, including career planning, organizational navigation, and personal growth.

Today, mentorship is prevalent across all Fortune 500 companies and has proven effective in recent years. Eighty-four percent of U.S. Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs.

Individuals with mentors are five times more likely to receive promotions, and 67 percent of businesses with mentorship programs report increased profits. Seventy-nine percent of millennials view mentorship as critical for career growth and are twice as likely to stay with a company long-term if they have a mentor. Finally, 90 percent of mentors and their mentees feel happier and more confident at work.

When choosing a mentor, successful experience and the ability to serve as a role model for certain qualities play a crucial role.

Mentoring typically spans a long duration, from several months to years. The mentor and mentee may schedule regular consultations or meet as needed when the mentee has specific questions—they regulate these themselves.

The goal of mentoring is defined by the mentee, and the mentor advises on how to achieve it using the methods they themselves master. For the mentee, it is important to understand that mentoring is a collaborative effort, not the management of a less competent professional. Therefore, mentees should be proactive participants, initiate meetings and define their topics, independently identify their problems and areas for development, and not perceive the mentor as a boss but honestly discuss the current situation.

Role of Mentor:

● Focuses on the goals and tasks of the mentee;

● Advises on what to study, read, and watch;

● Offers options for solutions but does not provide specific guidance on actions;

● Supports and discusses challenges;

● Provides structured and developmental feedback

Role of Mentee:

● Setting clear goals and objectives for the mentoring relationship

● Being open to feedback and guidance from the mentor and implementing suggestions for improvement

● Taking responsibility for their learning and development and seeking out resources or opportunities for growth

Business Coaching: Cultivating Skills and Performance

At the beginning of this article, we likened a mentor to a cobbler with shoes. However, the dynamic in coaching is quite different, as your coach is not expected to be an expert in your field. So, the coach is a cobbler without shoes.

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.

"The goal of mentoring is defined by the mentee, and the mentor advises on how to achieve it using the methods they themselves master."

Coaching is a transformative vehicle for skill development, performance enhancement, and achieving specific goals. Unlike traditional hierarchical relationships, coaching fosters a supportive and non-judgmental environment where individuals are empowered to explore new perspectives, challenge self-limiting beliefs, and confidently navigate obstacles.

A study from Hay Group reveals that about 25 to 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies use executive coaches.

According to the ICF and HCI’s report, organizations are looking to expand the scope of leaders using coaching skills, and highlights the business case for building a strong coaching culture:

● Respondents whose organizations had strong coaching cultures reported that 61 percent of their employees are highly engaged, compared to 53 percent from organizations without strong coaching cultures.

● Forty-six percent of respondents in organizations with strong coaching cultures reported above-average 2016 revenue growth in relation to industry peers versus 39 percent of respondents from all other organizations.

The coaching environment has a postulate: 'The coach is responsible for the process, and the client is responsible for the result.’ With each action, while being responsible for organizing the process of coaching collaboration, the coach creates significant prerequisites for the client's outcome.

Role of a Coach:

● Setting the right atmosphere for a coaching conversation

● Building rapport and trust – making the coachee feel comfortable

● Helping the client precisely articulate their goal and desired outcome

● Periodically returning the coachee to the main goal

● Giving them objective feedback about how they are progressing

● Giving them support and encouragement when they need it

Role of a Coachee:

● Identifying and/or accepting the need for personal change

● Discussing and agreeing on what they want to achieve and why

● Committing to change

● Taking time between coaching sessions to reflect on their learning

Power of Career Sponsorship: Driving Career Advancement

If we talked about shoemakers in the previous tools, then a career sponsor is a gray cardinal who helps climb the career ladder.

The difference between mentors, coaches, and sponsors lies in the fact that mentors and coaches provide advice or help you achieve your goals and are the first to listen to the thoughts of their mentees, while career sponsors speak less but act more.

A career sponsor is someone from the ranks of senior executives in your organization who advocates for your interests, nominates you for the next position, introduces you to influential colleagues, and helps address systemic issues that may hinder your career progression.

Career sponsors are crucial drivers of career progression, especially in the international arena. The higher you climb the career ladder, the more challenging it becomes to advance without the influence of career sponsors—individuals who hold influential positions and can vouch for your success in a new role when the time comes. For career sponsors to fulfill this role effectively, they must know you well, be aware of your achievements, believe in you, and be willing to advocate for you.

How is the decision made on who to promote to a significant vacancy within the company? Typically, a committee of leaders is convened, including the future direct leader of the individual who will fill the position, leaders from related functions, and HR managers. In companies with well-established talent management processes, there is already a list of potential internal candidates for the vacancy. Subsequently, the committee discusses the candidates' experiences, potential, personal qualities, values, and motivations. While experience is important, it is one factor among many when selecting the final candidate. Within such a committee, whether the decision-makers know you and what they can say about you is crucial—your career ambitions, personal and professional qualities, etc.

In many cultures, it is not common to actively seek out career sponsors. Many employees still believe that ‘results speak for themselves,’ and sponsors are often associated with ‘favoritism,’ something indecent and unnecessary for intelligent and capable individuals. Unfortunately, such beliefs often become a barrier to further career advancement.