Mentors, Coaches, and Sponsors, oh my!

In some cases you have a great manager who helps guide you down a path which is a perfect fit. Progression is straight forward.  Or you simply have your own crystal clear clarity.  Rainbows and unicorns.

The rest of the time, it can be helpful to have other’s support you in various ways.  There tends to be a lot of talk about mentors in tech.  Occasionally the term sponsor or coach comes up. I’ve gotten a lot of questions over the years about what the differences are.

Mentor 

A mentor is someone who has experience in an area that you are trying to learn or improve.  This may be general knowledge in an industry or a very specific skills.  A mentor provides additional context and information.  Often they share stories of what worked or didn’t work for them.  They may have frameworks or tools to share.  Learning from a mentor can be a shortcut to quickly gain perspective and build knowledge.

Coach

The term coach get’s used in a bunch of ways. I’m going to share my definition. A coach is someone who helps you think and figure out what is right for you.  They may or may not have experience in the area you are working on and that doesn’t matter.  They aren’t going to answer what you should do.  Instead they are going to help guide you on how to answer questions for yourself.  The may have tools, frameworks, and exercises to help you get clarity and take action.  Working with a coach is a great option when you aren’t getting the results you want, if you want to make a change, are unhappy, etc.

Sponsor

A sponsor is someone who sees your potential or value and has the power to help you find and get opportunities.  This isn’t someone who you go to when you need advice.  This is the person you impress and show gratitude to.  They are door opener.  Often they are willing to bet their own social capital to bet on you.

Was this helpful?  Do you share these definitions?