Amanda Caudwell Gives Us Tips on Mentoring and Sponsorship
Amanda has been my mentor for the last 6 years, so I thought she would be the best person to discuss this topic. We used to work together at Sanofi, and she was, and still is, a role model for me.
The best thing she ever did for me was to prepare me for my next role without me noticing it. This made me more confident and more prepared when I took the promotion.
Amanda is an experienced marketing strategist and team leader. Currently in a role of Global Strategic Marketing at Sanofi.
23 years’ career in the consumer healthcare industry, encompassing strategic and operational marketing at Global, Regional and Local level. Successes include strategic category development, brand turnaround, brand acceleration, brand acquisition and retail account management.
Passionate about people, which is channelled into putting the consumer at the heart of every activity and leveraging a collaborative leadership style for my team to reach their full potential.
How to find the right mentor and sponsor?
Q1. What is the difference between a mentor and a sponsor ?
I came across this wonderful quote which captures beautifully what a mentor is:
“A mentor is not someone who walks ahead of us to show us how they did it. A mentor walks alongside us to show us what we can do” Simon Sinek.
In my experience, a mentor is someone with whom you have a long-term relationship which is focused on the growth and development of the mentee. Over time, the mentor becomes a trusted source of support, sharing knowledge and experience. Whilst a mentor can be someone from within your organisation, it isn’t necessarily a requirement as their role is not to comment on specific actions or activities within the mentees job role. However, the mentor should have relevant skills, knowledge or expertise which they are willing to share with the mentee.
I am currently a mentor for the Princes’ Trust in the UK and also within my organisation and so I have been in the privileged position of being both mentee and mentor!
My definition of a sponsor is very different to that of a mentor. A sponsor is someone based within your organisation who is in a position of influence and may in the past have been your line manager or above. The sponsor has seen your working style over a period of time and as a result trusts in your skills and experience with sufficient confidence to recommend you to take part in high profile project teams or even new roles. They are putting their own reputation on the line by sponsoring you in this way. Sponsorship is often situational and results in a win win for both the individual, the sponsor and the organisation.
Q2. How did you find your mentor?
In a past role I was fortunate enough to be selected for a mentoring program with my employer. I also formed a mentoring relationship with a business leader who I was not directly working with. However, I have a number of people whom I consider to be mentors for example former colleagues where we have established co-coaching relationships and we call upon each other when support and a different perspective is required.
I was lucky to be given an easy route to gain a mentor, if you’re not involved in a program here are some suggestions:
- If there is a leader in your business who you admire, why not reach out to them and ask if they would consider being a mentor to you? Tell them what you admire about them and what you think you could learn from them. If you don’t know them directly, ask your HR business partner or line manager for some support.
- If you belong to any business or professional groups, like Lean In, and there are people within the group whose style, contribution and experience you admire, why not ask them if they would consider being a mentor to you.
Q3. How did you find your sponsor
I have a belief that you cannot have enough sponsors within your organisation! They find you based on how you show up every day, how committed, collaborative and effective you are.
For me there is no way you can force this relationship, it is about how you show up, learn in and interact in every single interaction which earns you to be sponsored, if you think of it in media terms it’s your earned stream!
👇Here is a list of organisation that offer free mentoring in Lyon
- CCI de Lyon offers mentoring for entrepreneurs.
- Meet-up to meet people in your professional circle and discuss opportunities
- Lean In Lyon is a network of women who wonder about their professional evolution, with the spirit of sharing and mutual aid. They also have a list of potential mentors.
- My Job Glasses drives conversation with professional around the world and in Lyon as well.
- WIF promotes women in the company world, you can enter the mentoring after 3 years of activity.
- Ldigital promotes the place of women in the digital world.
- Social builder offers mentoring for all alumni.
Q4. What is the best advice they ever gave you and why?
I have had the same great piece of advice from two different sponsors, which is “take the job!” Thanks to their sponsorship I have been in the position to interview for new roles and having been offered the job they’ve encouraged me to go for it! As a result, I have learnt and experienced so many new things including living in a different country so I will forever be grateful for their support.
My personal motto is treat other people as you would like to be treated yourself and so this is the piece of advice I always give. It applies to every situation.
In the case of a mentoring relationship, be respectful of your mentors time, come prepared with the topics you’d like to discuss, share with them the progress you made as a result of your last conversation, make a contract with them at the beginning of the relationship about what is in and out of scope… and thank them for their support.
Q5. Recommended reading and listening
Find all our interviews for Lean In Lyon by Eleonore Baco and Cécile Eynard.
Participative interview of Amanda Caudwell by Eleonore Baco
