Jayne is a team player. She is very passionate about her work and life. She has many things she wants to be involved in. She can be relied on to take things and run with them.  Unfortunately at this stage in her career, as a director, she is seriously considering leaving the organization. She is continuously torn between personal and professional priorities and is feeling exhausted from the pace. Just last night as she was on her way out to make it to her son’s basketball game, she was sidelined by a colleague who had a technical issue to discuss. She knew it was important and therefore did not interrupt him to let him know she had a personal commitment. She missed the first half of the game.  She had set a goal for herself to make all of these games is disappointed and concerned about how often this is happening now. She feels she cannot continue to meet her own standards for the kind of parent AND the kind of professional she wants to be.

Jack is a go getter and will assertively push for committee assignments and new clients. He has always felt this was the road to success. Lately, however, he feels he is not meeting many commitments well. He missed a few days of his family vacation this year and his daughter’s birthday celebration. The professional reasons were solid and he does not want to be considered unreliable or uncommitted. He does feel his family is starting to see him as unavailable which causes him to feel sad.  He is beginning to worry him about future relationships with his wife and daughter. 

Do these scenarios sound familiar either personally or in regard to the top talent on your team? Is there a commonality in these scenarios? If you want to help your employees with career life integration strategies, where do you start? Do you want better alignment between work and your own personal commitments?

Improving skills in “personal boundary setting” is a much overlooked strategy relative to effective integration of career and personal life. Many organizations believe they need “work life balance” programs when in fact these programs will not make a difference if individuals are unable to make aligned decisions and set personal boundaries. Understanding professional priorities and how to meet those while also effectively setting personal boundaries is a gap that can be addressed by individuals and organizations.  Below are seven steps to building skills in this area:

1-Understand what you really want personally and professionally.  Paint the picture of what your objectives truly are.  Again, this must be a focus on the personal and professional. Engage in guided self-reflection using an influential sponsor or personal executive coach.  Do this at least annually if not more often.

2-Understand what adds the most value in your organization. This is not based on conjecture but on input from reliable and knowledgeable sponsors within the organization (if you have not formed relationships with influential sponsors, these are crucial to successful career navigation)

3-Set a goal and strive to spend your time on what adds the most value, practice communicating this to the leaders you work with most.

4-Train a strong team to continuously take on challenges once you have mastered them. 

5-Teach yourself and hold yourself accountable for letting go of what does not add value or what someone else on your team is now more challenged by then you.  Pass the work down, delegate and leverage yourself over your team.  Being a team player is important, but not to the extent that everyone knows you will take all of the work no one else wants to do, or the work that has low value for career progression. 

6-Learn (and practice) communicating effectively what your priorities are and why you are making the choices you are making.  Even when this involves declining meetings those in authority assume you should be able to make. 

Practice saying no professionally and effectively.  Offer alternative availability in your schedule or offer attendance by someone on your team.  Every time you say no to something that is not aligned you are saying yes to something that is aligned with your personal and professional goals. The reverse is also true- every time you say yes to something because you feel guilty or because you did not think about the impact it would have on other commitments, you are in effect saying no to the things you already determined were most important.

Communicating the personal and professional reasons for your decisions with those closest to your work can make a difference.  Be prepared to accept that not everyone will agree with or be happy with your choices. This will always be true and cannot be avoided. Trying to please everyone is the road to dissatisfaction and burnout.  In the end, trying to please everyone interferes with high quality performance. 

7-Make intentional and conscious choices about how you spend every part of every day and be willing to hand over personal duties as well as professional duties to your support teams at work and at home.  The goal is to maximize your time spent moving toward your vision of the person you want to be both professionally and personally. There will still be conflicts. However decisions are easier to make. When torn between two choices, you will have increased clarity and peace of mind in making your decision.
​

By: Mary L Bennett, CEC, CIA, MBA
​
The power of sponsorship relationships is not very well understood in many organizations even though these relationships have been the electricity of career progression as long as there have been careers.  Intentional sponsorship, however, is frequently the missing element in building inclusive environments where all top talent can thrive.   Sponsorship is a key example where equity rarely flourishes. 

The issue of sponsorship is often subtle and requires a close look at how individuals move through the organization. How do they advance? How do they become visible? What is considered an increase in value delivered that puts someone on "the radar screen"?  Many of the subtle but essential rules about how an individual advances in an organization are real but unwritten. As a result , it is critical that all top talent have access to sponsors in their career journey.

Sponsorship in the development and career advancement process is often missing for emerging leaders, especially those who represent diversity from the current and past leadership teams. This is not because those in positions of influence are deliberately or even consciously excluding anyone but because  human beings regularly exhibit something called "affinity bias". This is simply a pattern of identifying with those who remind us of ourselves , with those on a path similar to the one we have taken.  We reach out to those who we feel an affinity with and "take them under our wing".  As a result of these human patterns the natural formation of traditional sponsorship relationships often unevenly provides critical "survive and thrive" training.  This is a key inequity in organizational cultures. 

In most organizations there remains a lack of broadly defined diversity in the majority of positions of influence and power.  The positions that represent deep knowledge of the unwritten rules are still today not held by individuals who represent a broad definition of diversity. In many cases, senior leaders naturally reach out to younger leaders  who remind them of themselves. When asked, senior leaders are often not aware that an uneven execution of sponsorship is happening and they are a party to it. When the question of why more emerging leaders who represent broader diversity are not in their circle, the leaders often indicate that they do not feel they can be a mentor to women, minorities, GLBT, or the disabled. They acknowledge, when asked to reflect, that they have reached out naturally to people they feel they can help because they have walked the same road. These influential leaders sometimes feel they do not have as much to offer the individuals who they perceive to be walking a different road.  This is in fact not the case, there is much they have to offer and it is possibly even more important they offer it to those who represent diversity because these individuals have less access to critical information about the majority culture. In addition, these individuals may represent unique perspectives, networks, and experiences that will make the organization stronger.   This is an excellent example of privilege that allies can and should put to use.  Sponsorship programming is a very practical mechanism for utilizing privilege within the DEI strategy.  Sponsorship is much more than mentorship.  
 
These factors are a catalyst behind the lack of an even playing field for all top talent. Without the same access to senior leadership, critical learning and developmental experiences, all  individuals do not have the same opportunities. 

Moving through an organization seeking advancement is a very
real journey. This journey is one that requires a map that comes from a sponsorship.  All individuals should be thinking about gaps in experiences needed to increase skill levels and personal balance sheet of talent. It is important to first understand what the organization is looking for in its emerging  leaders. This is not always , in fact not often , written. A sponsor provides critical information that helps the individual understand where they are on track and where they are missing the mark. While understanding high value activities is the first step in efficient career navigation, an individual is not always in a position to acquire access to these opportunities and experiences without someone in the inner circle acting as an advocate. In some cases, it is nearly impossible to broker opportunities such as committee assignments, over seas promotions, strategic client relationships, profit and loss responsibility without assistance. Advocacy from those in positions of influence is required. 

Many emerging female and minority leaders do not have deep sponsorship relationships. This fact slows the career progress of these diverse leaders. It creates real difference , not only in the opportunities that this talent has access to but also meaningful differences in learning and skill development. While it may be heresy to post this next comment- it is true. When we hear that there were no female or diverse candidates for promotion that were qualified...it is sometimes true because these candidates have not had access to the experiences needed to qualify them for the new opportunity.  This occurs largely because of a lack of sponsorship intervention which provides this access.

What can we do as individuals and organizations? Individuals must work to form relationships with senior leaders in order to access critical career navigation  information and support.  If you represent diversity from the current leadership team it is important that you work even more proactively to develop these relationships as they may not form naturally without you acting as a catalyst. 

Sponsorship left to its natural course has led us to where we are today.  This is why customized and formal sponsorship programs are required in order to build diverse pipelines of talent.  As an example, MLBC sponsorship programming is a proven strategy . With over 1000 individuals having completed the programming the results are clear.  The large majority of participants are retained and further progress within their career path.  Sponsors learn and begin to grow the concept of a more sophisticated and equitable sponsorship model within the organization. 

The good news is that talented individuals  can obtain what is needed  from multiple relationships and sources, and in fact should not expect to get everything from one sponsor.  Good programming teaches this and how to make it happen.

Putting all of your efforts into one relationship is not a good strategy because there will always be change within organizations. How hard a talented individual works and the quality of their work is not the only thing that matters... it is the merely price of entry.  Talented individuals  need to know if they are doing the right things at the right time in their career.  In addition, the right people must know they are doing the right things.  What are the "right things"?  Those activities recognized as having the most value to the organization today and into the immediate future.

Organizations that understand all of the above take a hard look
at their assignment, promotion and sponsorship processes. Uneven access to senior leadership can be addressed through awareness raising, sponsor programming and an enhanced talent development culture.

By: Mary L Bennett, CEC, CIA, MBA

I am often asked about confidence as a developmental need.  This is most often asked about women, rarely about men.  This is an issue in and of itself as it reflects a form of bias through conclusions drawn. 

"She just needs more confidence"
"He told me that I lack confidence"
"I think I have a confidence problem"

In the U.S., especially in business, we often hold confidence in great esteem.  So whats the problem?  What do we mean by confidence?  The way someone speaks? The way someone behaves? The way someone treats others around them? Are we speaking of the way in which the individual is viewed by others?  The way in which the individual views themselves?   Whose definition of confidence should we use? 

Confidence is a deceptively complex topic and quality.  It is very subjective and highly influenced by many factors, such as how we were raised, our experiences, and especially who is making the judgement or "rating" our confidence. 

To help others who you "perceive" to have a confidence issue, it is best to move away from judgements to actual relevant behavior and it's impact.  If you think you have a confidence issue, the same applies- what is the behavior or impact of this confidence issue?  In 95% of the coaching scenarios I have worked on relative to confidence, the individual must pull apart and examine the details of what has been identified by someone as a confidence issue in order to make progress.

Relative to gender, race or other other aspects of diversity, confidence is a very slippery slope. It is important to look at the majority group in any culture or environment and determine how they demonstrate and "act out" behaviors or confidence.  These are considered cultural norms, created by that group or organization. These norms are often unconsciously created, but not always.  These are however, not necessarily true definitions or behaviors that constitute evidence of confidence. A common example is young men learning to "act confident" on sports teams and in locker rooms, possibly even involving the harassment of those who do not conform to this set of behaviors. This demonstrated behavior does not tell us about the true confidence potential of any of the individuals involved.  Similar rituals exist among women or in various cultures.  Among these groups the behaviors that "signal" confidence might be very different and also may not tell us anything about the true confidence level of the individuals.  It is common to observe teams where the leader reveres confidence as a trait, based on their own version of confidence.  The team follows the leader attempting to "act out" confidence the way in which the leader demonstrates and prefers.  This is not a recipe for a confident team, or a strong one. 

Confidence has many layers to it, our concerns over it are contextual and should be examined in light of cultural norms and impact of the "lack of confidence".  Most especially, we must examine the multitude of underlying developmental needs that may actually be important such as credibility, demonstration of strategic thinking, building relationships, and many more. 

By: Mary L Bennett, CEC, CIA, MBA
​
Jayne is a team player. She is very passionate about her work and life. She has many things she wants to be involved in. She can be relied on to take things and run with them.  Unfortunately at this stage in her career, as a director, she is seriously considering leaving the organization. She is continuously torn between personal and professional priorities and is feeling exhausted from the pace. Just last night as she was on her way out to make it to her son’s basketball game, she was sidelined by a colleague who had a technical issue to discuss. She knew it was important and therefore did not interrupt him to let him know she had a personal commitment. She missed the first half of the game.  She had set a goal for herself to make all of these games is disappointed and concerned about how often this is happening now. She feels she cannot continue to meet her own standards for the kind of parent AND the kind of professional she wants to be.

Jack is a go getter and will assertively push for committee assignments and new clients. He has always felt this was the road to success. Lately, however, he feels he is not meeting many commitments well. He missed a few days of his family vacation this year and his daughter’s birthday celebration. The professional reasons were solid and he does not want to be considered unreliable or uncommitted. He does feel his family is starting to see him as unavailable which causes him to feel sad.  He is beginning to worry him about future relationships with his wife and daughter. 

Do these scenarios sound familiar either personally or in regard to the top talent on your team? Is there a commonality in these scenarios? If you want to help your employees with career life integration strategies, where do you start? Do you want better alignment between work and your own personal commitments?

Improving skills in “personal boundary setting” is a much overlooked strategy relative to effective integration of career and personal life. Many organizations believe they need “work life balance” programs when in fact these programs will not make a difference if individuals are unable to make aligned decisions and set personal boundaries. Understanding professional priorities and how to meet those while also effectively setting personal boundaries is a gap that can be addressed by individuals and organizations.  Below are seven steps to building skills in this area:

1-Understand what you really want personally and professionally.  Paint the picture of what your objectives truly are.  Again, this must be a focus on the personal and professional. Engage in guided self-reflection using an influential sponsor or personal executive coach.  Do this at least annually if not more often.

2-Understand what adds the most value in your organization. This is not based on conjecture but on input from reliable and knowledgeable sponsors within the organization (if you have not formed relationships with influential sponsors, these are crucial to successful career navigation)

3-Set a goal and strive to spend your time on what adds the most value, practice communicating this to the leaders you work with most.

4-Train a strong team to continuously take on challenges once you have mastered them. 

5-Teach yourself and hold yourself accountable for letting go of what does not add value or what someone else on your team is now more challenged by then you.  Pass the work down, delegate and leverage yourself over your team.  Being a team player is important, but not to the extent that everyone knows you will take all of the work no one else wants to do, or the work that has low value for career progression. 

6-Learn (and practice) communicating effectively what your priorities are and why you are making the choices you are making.  Even when this involves declining meetings those in authority assume you should be able to make. 

Practice saying no professionally and effectively.  Offer alternative availability in your schedule or offer attendance by someone on your team.  Every time you say no to something that is not aligned you are saying yes to something that is aligned with your personal and professional goals. The reverse is also true- every time you say yes to something because you feel guilty or because you did not think about the impact it would have on other commitments, you are in effect saying no to the things you already determined were most important.

Communicating the personal and professional reasons for your decisions with those closest to your work can make a difference.  Be prepared to accept that not everyone will agree with or be happy with your choices. This will always be true and cannot be avoided. Trying to please everyone is the road to dissatisfaction and burnout.  In the end, trying to please everyone interferes with high quality performance. 

7-Make intentional and conscious choices about how you spend every part of every day and be willing to hand over personal duties as well as professional duties to your support teams at work and at home.  The goal is to maximize your time spent moving toward your vision of the person you want to be both professionally and personally. There will still be conflicts. However decisions are easier to make. When torn between two choices, you will have increased clarity and peace of mind in making your decision.

By: Mary L Bennett, CEC, CIA, MBA

​​This is not a blog about flexible work arrangements.  Simply stated there is a talent war.  Forces have come together in a way we have never seen before.  Baby Boomers may believe this is similar to all the other talent wars they have seen, but research shows otherwise.  Millions of Baby Boomers are retiring with significantly less in the pipeline to take their place. An estimated 30% gap. The Gen Y coming up behind our Gen X emerging leaders will provide some relief however we have to keep them in the profession in order to create sustainable firms of the future.  Women and Generation X have been saying for quite a long time that the business models created by the Boomers need to change in order to attract and retain the best and brightest future leaders.  Now the Gen Y and Z  have added their unrelenting voice to this message: change or we will go elsewhere.   The profession is faced with losing even more top talent then we have already driven from our ranks, and many are not just leaving public accounting but the entire profession.  We have a greater need than ever before for talent with more people retiring from the profession than in the history of the profession combined.  At the same time we offer cultures that are unattractive to the very talent we need to survive and thrive.

The number one cultural attribute required by the emerging leaders is flexibility.  Men and women report this in their top three requirements for long term career satisfaction.  Many Boomers still seem to believe this is about offering “part-time” work arrangements.  This is the old school mentality.  Offering flexibility in schedules and the possibility of reduced hours has been a requirement to retain top talent for over 25 years. This alone will no longer create retention, and many firms may not have even mastered implementation of these policies.  Firms of the future have moved to flexibility philosophies that definitely include policies for reduced hour flexibility but also include much more.  The first rule of an effective flexibility philosophy is that it must be a reflection of a strong flexibility culture.  Culture shift takes time and the sooner you start the better.  Here are some important steps and elements to include in creating your firm’s flexibility culture and philosophy:

One
Career-Life Integration Introduction Communicate the importance of career-life integration in the firm culture.  Why is the firm supporting this, what is the business case for flexibility in this organization.  Clearly stated business reasons for the support of Career-Life Integration is the foundation for effective forward movement. (For more information on business case reference: AICPA Business Case for Flexibility

Two
Flexible Culture Include a brief statement of the firm’s philosophy on flexibility.  This is a broad statement that reinforces the ways in which flexibility must work for the organization and the individual.  Elements that are central to the firms business such as quality client service, respect of co-workers, and personal responsibility are key.  Clarity on the accountability of the firm and individual to honor commitments both personal and professional and other core concepts are also noted.  This statement is critical as it is the foundation of the firm’s approach to flexibility.

Three
Flexibility Options It is critical to create education and awareness on flexibility options.  There are many perceived barriers, urban legends and myths about what is possible or “allowed” and what is not.  Most employees get their information from their peers and misperceptions are widespread. Firms that are very clear on the differences between day to day informal flexibility and formal flexibility arrangements will have the most success.   Informal flexibility utilized by all, such as core hours concepts or simple flexibility to cover personal needs such as doctor appointments or family conflicts should be described and scenarios given as examples.  Core hours are set by some firms to allow for day to day flexibility- these include hours in the middle of the day, commonly 10-3 where everyone must be in the office.  Some may choose to start work at 6 or 7am and work 8-10 hours, others may choose to start later and work those same hours but finish in the evening.  This is the essence of core hours.  Working hours and productivity are not reduced and expectations remain the same.  Choices are given and details clarified on how the hours may be accomplished.  However, it is important to note that Core Hours are quickly becoming old school as well.  Guidelines regarding personal responsibility for communication and maintaining access to ensure continued workflow are key to building a flexibility culture that will not rely on the core hours concept. 

Examples of "formal flexibility" should be noted with specifics on full time such as condensed week hours or telecommute (4-10 hour days, or some portion of the week via work from a home office) and specifics on reduced hour’s arrangements which include typical 80% or 90% of full time hours type schedules.  Any details on impact to compensation, benefits, career progression, etc. are all outlined in detail.  Firms that have mastered the flexibility culture are very clear on career progression in particular.  Firms must identify the progression impact of various flexibility choices.  The majority of firms are determining appropriate levels of flexibility up to and including the partner level and are able to communicate and document these philosophies.  There are often not hard written policies because each individual situation is unique.   
 
Four
Making a Personal Flexibility Plan
It is critical to ensure employees know how to take advantage of both informal and formal flexibility.  Formal flexibility is only effective with a process that includes the employee creating a business case and request for the arrangement and an approval process which sometimes includes negotiation with practice leaders to ensure the arrangement will work for the business needs as well as individual needs.  Employees sometimes need the opportunity to counsel with someone knowledgeable in the firm regarding options and how to meet business and personal needs. Formal check in processes are essential to avoid the failures many firms experience with these arrangements.  Simply put, a process that requires the firm and individual to acknowledge what is- and is not- working about the arrangements and forces adjustments can put an effective stop to the many things that typically derail effective flexibility.  These check-ins must occur annually at a minimum.   All employees should take the time to estimate how they will utilize their billable and non billable hours and meet or exceed expectations for their level. This is essential for professional management of your performance regardless of the type of flexibility benefits you may take advantage of.
 
​Five
Leaders, managers and employees are oriented to the flexibility philosophy in education and awareness sessions.  This step must not be skipped.  Those leading and supervising others must be trained on how to effectively manage and hold people accountable with less face time.  We currently tend to shortcut quality management techniques which is the result of expecting our workforce to be outside our office door 24/7 waiting for us to delegate or follow up with them. Effective management techniques have always included skills such as setting expectations, clarity in communication, adjusting style for the current developmental level of the individual, setting and adjusting accountability approaches, and getting to know the motivations of the people who work for you. 

Employees also must understand that with privilege comes responsibility and they have a role to play that includes understanding business needs and a mature communication approach. Understanding their responsibilities in the above management skills interaction is key regardless of whether they are taking advantage of a flexible culture or working 24/7.
 
These are simple steps to move down the path to a more flexible culture.  Remember this statement of caution.  Simply going through the motions and following these steps without the buy in of leaders will not be effective.  Governance bodies, owners, managers must engage with a willingness to shift culture around what we believe it means to demonstrate commitment to the organization.  The requirement of more flexible cultures will not go away.  The firms that do not embrace this will find their clients suffer and their future is not sustainable because talent will choose to go elsewhere.   On the other hand, quality design and execution of your flexibility philosophy will create strong attraction and a barrier to exit for top talent.

Jill is an African American woman with ten years of experience in
public accounting. She is certified and versatile in the areas of practice in
which she might contribute now and in the future.  She has deep community roots in the major metropolitan area in which she works and she has shown great promise in promoting the Firm in the market.  She has demonstrated ability to target in on very valid and significant business development opportunities. 
She is liked by her peers and develops the people on her teams.  She also plans to leave the Firm and possibly public accounting altogether. 
What is wrong with this picture?

Jill feels as if she works tirelessly to stay connected in the
Firm and to expand her network. She has been successful in this regard and is
networked and capable of tapping into opportunities.  She feels she has to prove herself every day when she walks through the door and again if she is working toward a significant opportunity in the Firm or the market. She feels when she speaks she must work much harder to be heard and to be taken seriously.   She feels that her superiors are not connected to her and that she is not on their radar screen.  She has observed the favoritism or advocacy circles that drive the
assignment of opportunities, promotions and pay increases.  She has managed to tap into these organizational circles from time to time, but also notes that she has to assimilate in order to stay connected. She is uncomfortable with the degree of assimilation required.  She understands that this assimilation also limits the value she may bring to the Firm. She has come to the conclusion that the energy she is pouring into trying to fit into the organization could be better applied to her work if she was in a more inclusive environment.  Her
exploration of the Public Accounting marketplace has turned up few options upon
deep research.  She knows she has many career options.  She cannot
envision herself on the outside trying to gain access daily for the undefined
and long term future.   This is a very difficult career path without taking into account the need to break into circles of influence that others do not have to work at to gain access.
 
The sustainability of our Firms is dependent upon attracting,
retaining and developing the best talent. 
A significant portion of this talent is represented by individuals who
represent something different then our current partner ranks. 
Our ability to develop and bring new solutions to new markets is
dependent on our success in creating an inclusive culture that supports a very broad level of diversity.  Diversity in thought, lifestyle, ethnicity, gender, education, socioeconomic experience and much more. 
Creating an inclusive culture can be accomplished with targeted
effort.  How do we attract, retain
and develop the individuals who represent the change we need for the future
while we continue to work on our culture?  

What can an organization do now to retain and develop top talent
like Jill?  One of the most important strategies that an organization can employ is targeted advocacy.  In our profession advocacy
relationships drive talent development and career navigation. 
These relationships are a natural part of our organizations and have been
so for decades.  Advocates not only understand how to navigate through an organization to access key opportunities and networks at the most appropriate junctures of a career but they also use political capital to facilitate these moves for their protégés.  Advocates also help the protégés to become visible in ways that individuals cannot do for themselves.  These relationships exist and drive our
  profession.  These relationships are essential for election to owner which is one of the ultimate career destinations in our profession.   

It is critical to note that for individuals who represent
  something different from the norm, the advocacy relationships do not form as
  naturally as they do for the majority group. Human beings are drawn to individuals who remind us of ourselves, those we can identify with. 
This is especially true of advocacy relationships that may form naturally
in public accounting Firms.  This is significant and an important element in Jill’s story.  How can a person like Jill reach the conclusion that the price to pay for
success in public accounting is too high?   As an experienced partner in a public
accounting Firm, I would be the first person to acknowledge the road is long and
challenging.  We expect to work hard to attain this goal. What is
lost on those of us who may represent the majority is that the path is not the
same for those who are diverse, those who may represent our future. 
The path is much harder every day. 
When we hear that these individuals do not want to do what it takes to
succeed we must understand that in significant ways we are asking them to do
more then we have had to do.  This is true in many Firms for women, minorities, those with different educational or socioeconomic experiences, those with different lifestyles, or those that represent any significant difference that currently requires the individual to suppress in order to assimilate and be accepted. If you are a member of the majority and dominant group, the need to suppress fundamental elements of who you are to succeed may sound like fiction. Those who represent diversity in the ranks of your Firm would assure you that the energy it takes to try to be a fully accepted and engaged member of the Firm is
significant.

Advocacy relationships must be in place for all of our top talent.  If left to chance, the relationships will most likely not be in place for the individuals who
represent a critical part of our future because they represent something
different.  Targeted Advocacy Programs are not difficult to implement. 
The ripple effect benefit of these programs is immense. 
One method of shifting culture is to work closely with those individuals
who represent the future.  Bias is generally unconscious.  Bias begins
to break down as we gain personal experience interacting with individuals. Both the advocate and the protégé learn from these relationships.   

By: Mary L Bennett, CEC, CIA, MBA
​
There is a lot of buzz about the need for sponsorship relationships as opposed to mentor relationships.  What is the difference?  Why do women tend to have mentors and not sponsors?  How does this account for the lack of women in leadership roles?  Until we are inside the leadership team we often are unaware of how prevalent the sponsorship system is and how much it influences career progression and success.

The most significant differences between mentors and sponsors are:
1- the level of active involvement in the career of the protege
2-the level of influence the sponsor must have
3-the risk the sponsor takes upon themselves

Sponsors are in a specific position of influence within the organization.  Sponsors are also close enough to the protégés career trajectory and personal goals to accurately assess in detail where the protege should be focusing their efforts in the near future to accomplish professional (and sometimes) life goals.   In addition, the sponsor is in position to influence the opportunities the protege has access to and is willing to actively "sponsor" this individual by placing their own reputation and political capital on the line in support of the protege.  If we recommend someone for an assignment, promotion, raise, committee, opportunity of any kind, we put a portion of our reputation on the line.  These actions significantly impact the level and timing of key career opportunities.  Historically women have been attempting to access these opportunities on their own, while research shows that men more often have sponsors paving the way.  

The sponsor also plays the role of education, awareness raising and skill building which may be common to some mentor relationships.  One of the most challenging things about career progression is understanding exactly what you should be doing when , how to procure these assignments for yourself and how to ensure the right people know you are doing the right things.  These steps cannot be accomplished independently in most organizations.  Hence the need for a sponsor.  The sponsor role is much more comprehensive than a traditional mentor role.   Sponsorship is one of the most significant areas of inequity in the career navigation of women vs men.  This is due to affinity bias which is largely unconscious yet leads senior male leaders to sponsor emerging male leaders.  Sponsorship relationships are often left to chance.   This ambiguity creates the inequity and is easily remedied through formal sponsorship leadership development programming.