The +2 Rule: The Difference Between Mentorship and Sponsorship

When I first became a father, I was offered every platitude and piece of advice those around me could muster. Nearly every word rang true at some point. Sure, the sleepless nights came and went. And yes, one second they are playing with building blocks, then you blink, and they’re showing you TikTok dances. But one timeless piece of advice stayed with me long after my children began to grow up: it takes a village.

It takes a village to raise well-adjusted and caring people.

It takes a village to ignite change where there is systematic oppression.

And it took a village to carry my feet from the depilated city streets in Delaware to the marble floors of Microsoft, Google, and Twitter.

My path to success may illustrate an uphill though steadily consistent climb. But all of the triumphs, faithful leaps, and visions-turned-reality would be far-fetched daydreams if my journey hadn’t been guided by shepherds — or “my village.”

And so, as it relates to achieving career goals, why do we only celebrate the idea of ruthless focus and competition, and encourage everyone to adopt an “every person for themself” mindset? It’s not healthy, it’s not helpful, and frankly, it’s not reality.

Because whether it’s running a revolutionary company, grooming a mentee to become a fearless leader, or getting through the day in one piece, it takes a village. Partnership, sponsorship, and collaboration are non-negotiables to everyone’s success. Just as my teachers and sponsors left a legacy of “helping those who help themselves,” I support the trend and hold myself accountable to “the +2 rule.”

Related: How to Leave a Legacy You’re Proud Of

What is the +2 Rule?

In the tech world, we live and die by the Slack app, a business communication tool. Think AIM for grown-ups in suits. If you’re familiar, you already know the magic of its party emojis and roulette of gifs. And I can almost guarantee that you’ve adopted the trademark phrase, “plus 1” to signal you agree with someone. If this is the first you’ve heard of the app; there is a “+1” emoji users can click, letting others know they endorse the idea or comment. And I’m 100% guilty of working the phrase into my everyday vernacular.

With that little crash course on Slack and the context of my rule out of the way, here’s what the “+2 Rule” is. When you are in a meeting, especially in a meeting with high-power executives or influential figures, be intentional to remark on at least two people who are not in the room, and the good work they’re doing or the impressive wins they’re achieving.

For example, you’re a marketing executive, and the C-suite is gathered around a boardroom to talk about an upcoming campaign. And though the campaign will touch several internal organizations throughout the company, the initial conversations are being kept to upper management. As expected, you advocate for your larger marketing team and drop the usual names and propose slam-dunk ideas. You have the opportunity to stop there, but remember that an operations manager working in one of the city markets was vital in the last campaign roll-out, and you’ve taken them under your wing. Here is where the ‘+2’ comes into play.

If following the rule, you decide to be intentional about bringing up their name, the success of the last project, and your plan to bring them into the folds at some point. Though a brief acknowledgment that takes all of 30 seconds of the meeting, you’ve made it known that this is a “smaller” team player you trust and that they deserve to have name recognition with the company. By doing this, you are sponsoring someone. The name plants a seed into the minds of fellow executives; now, this operations lead has more executive credit in the company. As a sponsor, you’re going beyond guidance and insight, you’re providing them exposure and an opportunity.

Why Does Sponsorship Matter in the Workplace?

The Leader’s Edge explains, “A mentor advises the mentee; sponsors advocate for their protégés. A mentor can be anyone in a position of experience, while a sponsor is a senior-level executive. Mentors help build a career vision. Sponsors drive their protégé’s career vision. Mentors suggest ways to expand the mentee’s network. Sponsors give protégés their active network connections and make new connections for them. Sponsors are personally vested in the upward movement and professional development of their protégé. They champion their protégé’s visibility.”

Mentorship, though beneficial in many ways, falls shy of ensuring that someone is executing with the tools they’ve been given and is being given the opportunities they are ready for in their career. Similar to trust and respect, sponsorship is something a professional earns and is invaluable.

Further, we are at a pivotal point in history where many companies and leaders are earnestly seeking ways to amplify minority voices, something I am very passionate about. Sponsorship and adopting the “+2 rule” can help advance the very employees that have been alienated for so long. When reading a Stanford report, The Key Role of a Sponsorship for Diverse Talent, I found the following statistics astounding and telling, “According to research from the Center for Talent Innovation (CTI), the vast majority of women (85%) and multicultural professionals (81%) need navigational support to advance in their careers but receive it less often than others. However, a 2010 Catalyst study revealed that more women than men had been assigned mentors, yet 15% more men won promotions. Why? The findings indicate that having more mentorship did not lead to advancement but having a senior mentor in a position to provide sponsorship did.”

How to be a Sponsor

Once we know better, we should be better. If you’re feeling inspired to sponsor more professionals, implement the “+2 rule,” or elevate as a leader, the first step is to examine your own journey.

What opportunities would have changed your trajectory? Perhaps it was access to financial literacy; you wish someone had set you up with a financial advisor or debt-repayment course early in your career. Or, you may believe having a seat at the table during one of your first jobs could have accelerated your career by several years; you yearned for the moment a manager invited you into a brainstorming session with clients. The experiences that ignited an inner fuel can be the same “sponsorships” given to other people. You connect a promising apprentice with a financial advisor connection; you invite a mid-level manager into an important meeting.

Recently, best-selling author and staff writer at The Ringer, Shea Serrano, introduced a new, self-funded project entitled Halfway Books. To boil the concept down into a simple idea, Serrano wanted to find — and pay — a handful of emerging writers, who don’t have industry connections, to write a chapter in an upcoming book. His open letter explained, “Too often, talented writers are elbowed out of the game because they can’t afford to work an unpaid internship somewhere or they can’t afford to write for free for a few months somewhere to build up a portfolio. I think that sucks. So I want to try and help, even if it’s just a few people.” A powerful example of sponsorship and the epitome of the “+2 rule.”

Consider the following questions on regular cadence when in the company of incredible talent. How can I be more generous in this exchange? Who can I introduce them to? What opportunity can I provide them?

Though the idea of a self-made, lone visionary makes for a great film, it isn’t reality. To truly succeed and uplift ourselves, we must uplift others. It takes a village.

Continue Reading: The Future of Tech is Amplifying Black and Brown Voices