Companies across a range of industries as well as professional-services firms have been betting on sponsorship initiatives to improve the career advancement of their diverse hires. Unlike mentors who offer moral support or coaching, sponsors spend their own political capital to advance more junior sponsees, through advocacy and other tactical moves.
What Great Sponsors Do Differently
They leverage a vibrant mix of connection and action to advance high performers into leadership.
January 19, 2023
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Summary.
Sponsorship initiatives are increasingly popular today, but few sponsors are given any guidance about how best to work with the people they’ve been asked to work with, and as a result the relationships often don’t develop as productively as they should. Aspiring sponsors need more practical guidance. In this article, drawing on their long experience with sponsorship, the authors describe six important steps all sponsors should take.
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Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Developing Employees. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Support and challenge your direct reports to help them reach their potential.