Find your career sponsor and keep them - here's how ! 3 days

 

NOVEMBER 17, 2011 Thursday

Find and Keep a Sponsor

Sponsors are like turbocharged mentors. They offer guidance but also advocate for you by suggesting you for a promotion, calling in favors, or connecting you with other leaders. (1) To find a sponsor, recognize that you must earn one with performance and loyalty. Look for leaders who are impressed with your ability to get results or appreciate your work ethic. Demonstrate that you are a dedicated and hard-working employee before asking someone to take you on as a protégé. (2)  Then be sure to meet deadlines, exceed targets, and prove that you work for the greater good of the company.  Keep your sponsor in the loop about your progress and your career. (3) Remember it is a two-way street, so find ways to support your sponsor's interests and passions as well.

Today's Management Tip was adapted from "The Relationship You Need to Get Right" by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Melinda Marshall, and Laura Sherbin.