Q: My new sponsee keeps complaining about their old sponsor. What do I do?

Duck.

Sponsorship relationships often break down, but usually amicably. The sponsee recognises that they'd prefer a different approach, holds nothing against the old sponsor, but simply wants to move on. Alternatively, the sponsor ditches the sponsee, usually for inaction or resistance, and most sponsees understand what happened without rancour.

When the sponsee bears a grievance against the old sponsor, watch out. Particularly if the grievance centres on the old sponsor making mistakes, having their own style, not doing it 'by the book', etc. Why is this a red flag? Because you'll likely end up the next target for the sponsee's grudges. Whatever produced the original grievance is busy working on the next one.

Is there is a solution? Yes. Deactivate and dismantle the grudge-building machine. If the sponsee is willing to do that, you're in business. If there is any resistance or the process is heavy going, maybe drop the deal. A person has to be willing to be challenged. If they do not start out from this principle from Step Ten, there is no point in proceeding:

'It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us. If somebody hurts us and we are sore, we are in the wrong also. But are there no exceptions to this rule? What about “justifiable” anger? If somebody cheats us, aren't we entitled to be mad? Can't we be properly angry with self-righteous folk? For us of A.A. these are dangerous exceptions. We have found that justified anger ought to be left to those better qualified to handle it.'