Many years ago, I heard at a conference that women are over-mentored and under-sponsored. I decided to do some research and found some more recent HBR articles on this very topic. It does not seem much has changed, and I can even infer that this also affects all under-represented minorities. I define sponsorship as leveraging your own platform to support someone else’s development and growth. What the world needs is more sponsorship.
Unlike mentorship, which focuses on guidance and advice, sponsorship entails actively promoting and advocating for someone. It’s about creating opportunities and using your influence to help them reach their full potential.
One of the best sponsorship experiences in my career occurred when I had a career conversation with my boss at Hyperion Solutions, Bill Dewes, at the beginning of 2000, sharing my desire to have an international experience. He had just talked with the Nordic Controller, who was going on parental leave. This is when a business challenge and career opportunity came together, benefiting us all. Within months, I boarded a plane from Brazil towards Sweden. It was a turning point in my career, and I am eternally grateful to Bill.
The beauty of sponsorship is its inclusivity. It’s not limited to companies or senior figures. Anyone can be a sponsor – a colleague who recommends you for a project, a friend who connects you with someone in their network, or even someone who writes a positive online review of your work. This expansive view of sponsorship opens up numerous opportunities for all of us to make a difference in each other’s careers.
How about you? What are your experiences of sponsorship? When did you sponsor someone or receive sponsoring?
Sponsorship
