Susan Drumm (host) explains what career sponsorship is and how it differs from mentorship (sponsors publicly advocate and create visibility; mentors give private advice). The episode gives a step-by-step, practical guide to asking someone to be your career sponsor: clarify your goals and desired sponsor actions; evaluate candidates inside and outside your organization prioritizing clout and fit; assess and, if necessary, build the relationship (start as mentor then grow into sponsor); script the ask (express admiration, explain sponsorship vs mentorship, state purpose, propose a time-bound commitment such as six months with an initial 1-hour meeting then 20-minute check-ins); propose concrete sponsor actions (introductions, recommending roles, visibility at town halls); offer reciprocal support; send a thank-you and schedule the first meeting. Closing includes contact info and CTA to subscribe.
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Hi, I'm Susan Drumm, and welcome to the Enlightened Executive, where your personal evolution sparks your leadership evolution. If you love our content and want to support our mission to promote conscious leadership, please hit the subscribe button. It means a lot After I shared my podcast episode on the importance of sponsoring women in the workplace, I received an overwhelming response from women and men alike. And this led to a powerful workshop for some top women CEOs in biotech who are building up the next generation of leaders. So in this episode we're going to share how to Ask for a Career Sponsor. Sponsorship is when a person of influence promotes the achievements, capabilities and potential of another. Whereas mentorship is private, sponsorship is public. Sponsorship transcends advice, giving, and involves making connections, nurturing visibility, and advocating for promotions. Or, as Heather Faust Cummings, a senior vice president and catalyst, shared with the Muse, a mentor will talk with you, but a sponsor will talk about you. Now let's walk through how to ask for a Career Sponsor Number one Identify a sponsor and understand your purpose. So before you choose a sponsor, you need to understand why you want to work with one. You want to ask yourself, well, what are your career goals and what assistance are you really hoping a sponsor will provide? Reflect on how you want your career to progress. Next, evaluate your options. Look both within and outside your company. Who do you admire and who do you know well? Be willing to look beyond your comfort zone. An AWIP Future of Women study found that most women and marginalized communities feel drawn to those who resemble themselves. But as Nancy Wang shared in Forbes, the right sponsor should also have the necessary clout to make something happen for you. Therefore, selecting the right sponsor becomes less of an emotional connection to, but more of a professional identification. Ask yourself, why do you want to work with this specific person? How can they benefit you? Who are you connected to? Who do you have shared values with? How does their career inspire you? Next, assess your relationship. Has the sponsor seen you in action? Brainstorm with a colleague how you might give the sponsor the opportunity to to see your work. If your connection is limited, you might consider ideas to build the relationship by joining their committee or a special project they lead. Or is there a lunch and learn you can lead for the sponsors team. You may need to strengthen the relationship by considering the person first as a mentor and then grow them into a sponsor later after they've had more of an opportunity to see your gifts in action. If you do first need to build the relationship with someone and you work at a larger company that has a mentorship program, you could potentially ask your HR department to facilitate an introduction or meeting as a mentor. Alternatively, you can ask someone in your network to make the introduction or even if you have a good relationship, your supervisor and here's some tips to make the ask. First, open by expressing your admiration and gratitude. Tell them you respect their work, their achievements and career. Try to name something specific about that. Let them know how grateful you are for the relationship. Then introduce the idea of mentorship versus sponsorship. You could mention this podcast about the difference between the two and even send them a link to the first episode that I shared about this. 3 Share your purpose in looking for a sponsor Consider how will a sponsor support your career? What do you want from the relationship? Remember, a sponsor can both advance your career and expand your network by providing visibility and connections. I think it would be really helpful to explain what the sponsorship might look like and also to put a time limit on the commitment. People accept responsibilities with end dates, so ask if the sponsor will work with you over the next six months or a year. And then, for example, you might suggest a monthly meeting. You could take an hour for the first meeting to go over your goals and brainstorm together how they might help you and who they might introduce you to that would support your goals. From there, you could check in each month or every other month for 20 minutes to discuss progress updates. You really want to avoid feeling and being a burden, so keep the meeting short because the reality is the sponsorship work mostly happens in outside your one on ones as your sponsor has to meet with others on your behalf. Next, you might want to provide some simple action items. Be clear you want to make this arrangement easy. Your sponsor can start by introducing you to other key executives or recommending you to be the head of an important committee, or inquiring about showcasing your team's work at the next company town hall. And finally, don't forget to offer your support in exchange. Ask if there is anything you can do for your sponsor even if they decline at the moment, I think they're going to appreciate that gesture of support and start your relationship off on a positive note. If the sponsor agrees to support you, show your appreciation with a letter of thanks. Also, to stay top of mind, you want to schedule your first meeting as soon as possible. Most importantly, this is about speaking up for yourself. Your work may impress, but you have to advocate for yourself first. With intention, planning and patience. Who will be in your corner to support your journey? It starts with you. Remember, most people want to help but need to learn what that entails. So come prepared with ideas. You'll be surprised to find how you can spur your sponsors thinking and discover innovative ways to boost your career. I hope you follow these steps to find the right sponsor for you. When you accelerate your career by advocating for yourself, you're going to be surprised to find out how many doors are going to open along the way. Need more help understanding the difference between sponsorship and mentorship or help finding a sponsor? Get in touch@susandrum.com, we'd love to help. And if you like this episode and want more in leadership insights like these, hit the subscribe and the like button and we always appreciate our five star reviews. Lead the way. Hope you enjoyed today's episode and I'd like to point you to the next important step. Hit the subscribe button and the bell to get notified when we release new content. I'll see you on the next episode of the Enlightened Executive.
