a Department of Psychology , University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA.
b Central Nervous System (CNS) Business Unit , INC Research/inVentiv Health , Austin , TX , USA.
Clin Neuropsychol. 2018 Feb;32(2):284-299. doi: 10.1080/13854046.2017.1406142.
Mentoring is a well-known concept that is widely regarded as beneficial for personal and professional development. The concept of sponsoring is less recognized although it is considered critical by some for career advancement. The purpose of this study was to provide an initial exploration of differences between mentoring and sponsoring within neuropsychology and to learn what sponsors look for in protégés.
Twenty neuropsychologists with experience in mentorship and sponsorship were interviewed. Topics covered included the number of protégés they had mentored/sponsored, training received in mentoring/sponsoring, characteristics they look for in protégés, expectations of protégés, reasons they mentor/sponsor, and benefits of mentoring/sponsoring.
On average, neuropsychologists interviewed had mentored 58 protégés and sponsored 40. None had ever received formal training in mentoring or sponsoring. Key characteristics needed for neuropsychologists to feel comfortable mentoring/sponsoring protégés were similar while those characteristics valued differed slightly with sponsored protégés valued for competence and getting things done and mentored protégés valued for interpersonal qualities. Reasons for and benefits of mentorship/sponsorship were similar, with rewarding feelings, satisfaction, and pride in the protégé's successes at the top of the list.
Neuropsychologists who provide training are in the position to mentor and sponsor individuals; mentoring relationships often entail sponsorship and vice versa such that the two constructs may be considered part of a continuum. Improving knowledge and skills in mentorship and sponsorship will not only advance personal and professional development of protégés but will also positively impact mentors/sponsors and help shape the field of neuropsychology in deliberate ways.
指导是一个广为人知的概念，被普遍认为有益于个人和职业发展。尽管有些人认为赞助对于职业发展至关重要，但赞助的概念却鲜为人知。本研究的目的是初步探讨神经心理学领域指导和赞助之间的差异，并了解赞助人在寻找门徒时看重哪些特质。
对 20 名具有指导和赞助经验的神经心理学家进行了访谈。涵盖的主题包括他们指导/赞助的门徒人数、在指导/赞助方面接受的培训、他们在门徒中寻找的特质、对门徒的期望、他们指导/赞助的原因以及指导/赞助的好处。
平均而言，接受访谈的神经心理学家指导了 58 名门徒，赞助了 40 名。他们中没有人接受过指导或赞助方面的正式培训。神经心理学家感到舒适指导/赞助门徒所需的关键特质相似，而赞助门徒看重的特质则略有不同，他们看重的是能力和完成任务的能力，而指导的门徒则看重人际关系。指导/赞助的原因和好处相似，最高的是对门徒成功的奖励感、满足感和自豪感。
提供培训的神经心理学家有能力指导和赞助个人；指导关系通常需要赞助，反之亦然，因此这两个结构可以被视为一个连续体的一部分。提高指导和赞助方面的知识和技能不仅将促进门徒的个人和职业发展，还将对导师/赞助人产生积极影响，并以深思熟虑的方式帮助塑造神经心理学领域。
