In episode 204, Coffey talks with Rosalind Chow about the distinct roles of mentorship and sponsorship in advancing careers and building more inclusive workplaces.
They discuss the distinction between mentorship (which helps grow the mentee) and sponsorship (which seeks to change how others see the protege); how sponsorship functions like marketing or PR campaigns for high-potential employees; the four types of sponsorship - creating, confirming, preventing, and protecting; why sponsors risk their own credibility and reputation when advocating for others; how sponsorship doesn't require formal hierarchical relationships but depends on trust and status; how to become more "sponsorable" by being a top performer with clear values and compelling personal story; the risks of having the wrong sponsor or appearing as the "teacher's pet"; and how sponsorship creates inclusion by ensuring high performers are seen, valued, and given opportunities regardless of their background or circumstances.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of
Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit
https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Rosalind Chow is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Theory at Carnegie Mellon University, where she studies the power of social hierarchy and its impact on diversity and inclusion efforts within organizations.
Her forthcoming book, The Doors You Can Open (PublicAffairs, April 8, 2025) distinguishes the concept of sponsorship from mentorship. While mentorship can change mentees for the better through valuable coaching and encouragement, sponsorship takes it one step further — sponsors can change the social environment around their proteges by actively advocating for, raising the social visibility of, and protecting them. Put simply, while mentors act on mentees, sponsors act on external observers – audiences - to change how they see proteges.
We don’t just have the ability to change other people; we also have the ability to change other people’s relationships with one another. This ability - the power we have as sponsors - is something we can leverage to better ourselves, other people, and our communities.
Rosalind Chow can be reached at
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded
Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its
PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the
Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
1. Distinguish between mentorship (developing the individual) and sponsorship (changing others' perceptions of the individual) to provide appropriate support for high-potential employees.
2. Practice the four types of sponsorship - creating visibility, confirming positive impressions, preventing negative associations, and protecting during criticism - to advance deserving talent.
3. Recognize that effective sponsorship requires risking your own credibility and reputation, making it essential to sponsor only high performers whose values align with your own and the organization's goals.
What is Good Morning, HR?
HR entrepreneur Mike Coffey, SPHR, SHRM-SCP engages business thought leaders about the strategic, psychological, legal, and practical implications of bringing people together to create value for shareholders, customers, and the community. As an HR consultant, mentor to first-stage businesses through EO’s Accelerator program, and owner of Imperative—Bulletproof Background Screening, Mike is passionate about helping other professionals improve how they recruit, select, and manage their people. Most thirty-minute episodes of Good Morning, HR will be eligible for half a recertification credit for both HRCI and SHRM-certified professionals. Mike is a member of Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) Fort Worth and active with the Texas Association of Business, the Fort Worth Chamber, and Texas SHRM.