A Sponsor Will Skyrocket Your Career - Here's how to get one.

In the last article we spoke about the value of being a Sponsor to others. In this one we will unpack how to make it more likely someone will sponsor you.

The tricky thing is that you can't ask someone to be your sponsor the way you ask for a mentor. Instead you earn a sponsor, and you do this by making it high-return, low-risk activity for a specific leader to back you publicly.

A quick clarification

Mentoring = advice, feedback, skill development.
Sponsorship = a senior person uses their political capital to create access for you (introductions, nominations, stretch roles). Check out the guidance provided by the Workplace Gender Equity Agency for further distinctions.

Become “sponsor-ready”

First you need to know that you are ready to be a protege. This isn't something to step into lightly. While a good sponsor will understand the inevitable ups and downs of anyones career you need to know you are ready for the stretch assignments they will facilitate for you.

Identify a shortlist of potential sponsors that are 1-3 levels up from you.
Create a 30-second narrative that packages your value. Frame it as what you do uniquely well; the opportunity you want next; and why you are of value to each potential sponsor; the key priorities, of your potential sponsors, that you would like to add value to.
Make a list of your recent achievements. Ask yourself how visible these achievements were to potential sponsors. If your visibility was low brainstorm ways you could increase the visibility of your work.

Ask for something small...

Engage in a "micro-ask" that helps put you on the radar of potential sponsors.

“Could I present five minutes of results from my recent project at your staff meeting next week?”
“Would you co-sign my nomination for <task force/acting role>?”
“May I list you as a reference for <specific role> with <decision-maker>?”
“Could you introduce me to <X> to explore <project with clear ROI>?”
“If there’s a seat, I’d like to shadow the next exec review and take prep off your plate.”

Sponsorship maintenance

Once someone sponsors you make it a low risk activity for them to do so again.

Ensure you deliver on what you agreed to deliver
Keep your Sponsor updated with concise written updates
Give added value to the Sponsor, offer capacity, share intel and research, dos some stakeholder mapping, add value to things that make their priorities move faster.

Avoid the common traps

Don’t confuse frequent advice with sponsorship
Don’t rely on program-assigned matches
Build around real work and things that have specific impact on your career
Don't give up if your first potential sponsor doesn't happen - seek out the next one
End sponsorship cleanly and generously

Remember that sponsorship is valuable to the sponsor too. The more sponsors you cultivate the greater impact on your career and the greater your capacity to be a sponsor to others. The real value of sponsorship is that you pay it forward.

As always, wishing you a flourishing career.

Katherine

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