1. Building a Culture of Sponsorship Jo Miller

2. —Herminia Ibarra, Nancy M. Carter & Christine Silva
“There is a special kind of relationship—called sponsorship—in which the mentor goes beyond giving feedback and advice and uses his or her influence with senior executives to advocate for the mentee. Our interviews and surveys alike suggest that high-potential women are overmentored and undersponsored relative to their male peers—and that they are not advancing in their organizations.”
—Herminia Ibarra, Nancy M. Carter & Christine Silva
“Why Men Still Get More Promotions Than Women,” Harvard Business Review, September, 2010

3. Cindy Kent Board Director, Best Buy
“Sponsors will use their internal political and social capital to move your career forward within an organization. Behind closed doors, they will argue your case.”
Update?

4. What’s the difference between mentors and sponsors?
Ask.
Then tell.

5. We are all sponsorship trophies

6. “Four U.S.-based and global studies clearly show that sponsorship — not mentorship — is how power is transferred in the workplace.”
“Why You Need A Sponsor — Not A Mentor — To Fast-Track Your Career,” Business Insider, September 9, 2013

7. Pop quiz! In our corporate workplaces… 13 19
? % of women have sponsors
? % of men have sponsors 13 19
“The Sponsor Effect: Breaking Through the Last Glass Ceiling,” Harvard Business Review, January 12, 2011
“The Sponsor Effect: Breaking Through the Last Glass Ceiling,” Harvard Business Review, January 12, 2011

8. Women who have sponsors are at least 22% more likely to ask for stretch assignments and raises.
Women & men feel more satisfied with their career advancement when they have sponsors.
“The Sponsor Effect: Breaking Through the Last Glass Ceiling,” Harvard Business Review, January 12, 2011
“The Sponsor Effect: Breaking Through the Last Glass Ceiling,” Harvard Business Review, January 12, 2011

9. Who has done any type of unconscious bias training?
Diversity & inclusion training?
How does it relate to sponsorship?

10. Among people of color, sponsorship is particularly crucial in invigorating ambition and driving engagement.
Despite high ambition and aspiration, people of color continue to be under-sponsored. Only ? % have a sponsor, compared to ? % of caucasians. 8
Vaulting the Color Bar: How Sponsorship Levers Multicultural Professionals into Leadership, Center for Talent Innovation, 2014 13
Vaulting the Color Bar: How Sponsorship Levers Multicultural Professionals into Leadership, Center for Talent Innovation, 2014

11. People who have been sponsored pay it forward.
“Building a Culture of Sponsorship,” Evolved Employer, June 13, 2012
“Building a Culture of Sponsorship,” Evolved Employer, June 13, 2012

12. How can we, as managers, close the sponsorship gap?
Small group discussions

13. SENIOR-LEVEL Be a mentor and a sponsor
SENIOR-LEVEL Be a mentor and a sponsor. Build an inclusive culture of mentorship and sponsorship.
MID-LEVEL Diversify mentors. Cultivate peer-to-peer advocacy. Become a mentor. Build inclusive teams. Attract sponsors.
EARLY CAREER Enlist mentors.

14. What qualities make a great sponsor?

15. Out of the Comfort Zone How Women and Men Size Up Stretch Assignments — and Why Leaders Should Care

16. The most valuable career development experience
Action learning
Mentoring
Relationships
360° assessments
Exposure to more senior leaders
Formal classroom training
Stretch or rotational assignments
According to Korn Ferry, stretch or rotational assignments are hands-down the most valuable leadership development activity, ahead of training, mentoring, building relationships, 360° assessments, and exposure to senior leaders. Korn Ferry Institute, “Planning a Leadership Development Journey,” Kornferry.com, Accessed April 28, 2019,
Planning a leadership development journey, Korn Ferry, 2014

17. 40 percent of women in leadership positions say that taking “difficult, visible” assignments was key to their advancement.
A survey of 800 international executives asked what had helped them unleash their potential. 71 percent cited stretch assignments.
Catalyst, Women in U.S. Corporate Leadership: 2003, Accessed April 28, 2019,
Claudio Fernández-Aráoz, “21st-Century Talent Spotting,” Harvard Business Review, June 2014,
Catalyst, Women in U.S. Corporate Leadership: Claudio Fernández-Aráoz, “21st-Century Talent Spotting,” Harvard Business Review, June 2014

18. Corporate sponsorship programs
“They recognize that while powerful advocacy needs to be earned, potential sponsors need to be better apprised of who is worthy of their investment. While sponsorship can’t be forced, it can be made more transparent and accessible to high-potential employees who aren’t white and male.” —Sylvia Ann Hewlett
“Mentors Are Good. Sponsors Are Better,” New York Times, April, 2013

19. Corporate sponsorship programs
Unilever looked at high-potentials’ needs for development, matching them to sponsors who were strong in those areas and sat on the promotion committee.
IBM held sponsors accountable for preparing participants for promotion within one year.
DSM moved to more objective methods for talent identification, and assigned executive sponsors to co-own the careers of diverse candidates.
“Why Men Still Get More Promotions Than Women,” Harvard Business Review, September 2010
“Sponsorship Has More Promise for Executive Diversity Than Mentorship,” Entrepreneur, May 27, 2016

20. How can we build a culture of sponsorship in our organizations?

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