Sponsorship, Not Mentorship
Companies are making sure that women get enough mentoring to help them up the career ladder, however a study reveals that some women may actually be getting too much mentoring but still are not getting paid or promoted as much as their male counterparts. The difference is sponsorship. Mentors offer advice and feedback, but men more often have the added benefit of a mentor who also acts as a sponsor, influencing others and advocating on behalf of their mentee. That endorsement makes a critical difference in their advancement. Mentors also need training in how to effectively coach those who have a different style than they are accustomed to. Women often suffer from the double-bind and choice of whether to behave more like their aggressive peers who are perceived as better leaders, when that same behavior can get them labeled as being not easy to work more often than their male counterparts.