Do I need a sponsor?
“Hey Gemma, how would you feel if we organise a sponsor for you? Nope, no, they won’t be paying you to do anything, you’re not a charity. Nope, certainly, no marathon in Antarctica involved. Yes, it will require commitment from you. Yes, it will be invaluable. Great, you’re welcome!”
This was half of a phone conversation I heard recently from Susie, a senior leader and Gemma’s manager. Gemma has been with this organisation for about two years and has been out-performing all her colleagues. She is highly competent and confident, has exceeded all her targets and her team love working for her. However, she has recently missed out on a promotion and on attending the annual leaders’ conference. The challenge for her and for Susie in supporting her, is that Gemma has been working at a client’s site and she just isn’t visible to the Executive Team.
Gemma has had opportunities to attend work functions, join committees and be a part of the social scene at head office. She is quite reserved and has dependent elderly parents, and while keen to do well in her career, doesn’t have the capacity or expertise to invest in promoting herself within the organisation. As a leader, she needs someone, a sponsor, to have a vested interest in her, for career progression and visibility.
This Business Chicks article shares how the right sponsor will support you to step up when you might be holding yourself back. “Finding the right people to be your sponsors and highlight your accomplishments is not always easy, but it is necessary. Just doing good work isn’t enough.” It’s very important to note that this situation is not just for women, men also experience similar challenges in gaining visibility in an organisation.
(Although currently experiencing her own career challenges), Sheryl Sandberg being invited to join Google by Eric Schmidt, then CEO, clearly demonstrates why people need sponsors.
So, Susie sought out a sponsor for Gemma. She wanted to ensure Gemma didn’t miss any more opportunities and she knows that Gemma will bring her best self to the sponsor/sponsee relationship. Watch out for what’s next for Gemma!
