How Do I Get Adopted?The Need for Sponsorship in Corporate America

How Do I Get Adopted?

Presenter: L. Angel Henry, MLIS, MBA, PMP, CSM

Sr. PMO DirectorINBADD Conference May 2019

About Your Facilitator….

❖ University of Pittsburgh Alum

❖ Masters in Business Administration- Project Management

❖ Masters in Library and Information Science

❖ PMP Certified

❖ CCPM Certified

❖ SCRUM Master Certified, Product Owner/Product Manager Certified

❖ 18 years IT experience

❖ Enterprise PMO Sr. Dir.@ Genesys

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MY WHY

Objectives of the Session• Understand the difference and the need

for both mentorship and sponsorship

• Clear understanding of the need for sponsorship, especially women and minorities

• Leave with specific, actionable steps to take today to make your next move should you decide to keep climbing the corporate ladder

Today’s Agenda

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Part 1: Mentorship vs. Sponsorship

Part 2: The Need for Sponsorship

Part 3: Getting Adopted–Practical tools to implement today!

Part 1- The Ground Rules of Mentorship vs. Sponsorship

What is an Advisor?Webster- “to inform or give a recommendation”Carla Harris- provides discrete career advise

SITUTIONAL SPECIFIC

What is a Mentor?Webster – “a trusted counselor or guide”Carla Harris- someone that answers discrete ?s & gives you specific tailored career advise

TRUST INDUSTRY SPECIFIC

What is a Sponsor?Webster- “one who presents a candidate, one who assumes responsibility for, or one who pays for something”Carla Harris – one who uses their internal political & social capital to move your career forward with in an organization Sponsors impact: PAY, BONUSES, PROMOTIONS, and RETNETION

ADVOCATE

Your Board of Directors- Who to Go To?❖Advisor- details about a job opening, how to approach an

assignment; introduce you to someone you want/need to meet; how to work with a colleague they have worked with previously

❖Mentor- next position I should take, what could I do to recover from a negative experience/project; how do I leverage a positive experience

❖Sponsor- share your interests, your skills/strengths, inform them you are looking for new opportunities, show your “hunger” to grow and learn

Your Board of Directors- Characteristics

• Recognize you need them

• 1 individual can fit all 3

• You may not have all 3 at the same time

• These relationships are temporal

• These relationships are bi-directional

• They can be formal or informal

• Best time to org your board- when you 1st join the org

• WHO IS YOUR KEY BOARD MEMBER???

Today’s Agenda

Part 1: Mentorship vs. Sponsorship

Part 2: The Need for Sponsorship

Part 3: Getting Adopted– Practical tools to implement today!

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BLUF: In ANY competitive organization, having a sponsor is CRITICAL to upward mobility…Sylvia Ann Hewlett.

Mentorship ≠ Advancement

Case StudiesSource: Center for Talent Innovation (CTI)

The Good:

85% of mothers w/ sponsors stayed employed

The Bad:

34% of middle-management positions are female

The Ugly:Females in the C-Suite…nothing changed in last 10 years

Only 4.2% of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies are female

Only 15-17% are Board Members

On September 30, 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown signed State Bill-826 (“SB-826”) into to law that makes California the first state in the United States to require companies that are incorporated or based in California, and are listed on major U.S. stock exchanges, to have at least one woman on their boards of directors by the end of 2019, and a representative number of women on their boards of directors by the end of 2021.

Case StudiesSource: Center for Talent Innovation (CTI)

Case Studies- The Results

Behavior is impacted:

❖Performance declines

❖Morale declines

❖We leave

CTI: 40% high-potential Af-Am men leave

for entrepreneurial reasons

The Business Case for SponsorshipAccording to McGirt (2016), diversity initiatives are NOT working; since 2003 ~$8B has been invested in training, workshops, classes, and programs and ~90% Fortune 100 companies has a CDO; all major corps have diversity policies and plans, BUT…..

Source: McGirt, Ellen. (2016). Why race and culture matter in the c-suite. http://fortune.com/black-executives-men-c-suite/

Today’s Agenda

Part 1: Mentorship vs. Sponsorship

Part 2: The Need for Sponsorship

Part 3: Getting Adopted

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Part 3- Getting Adopted

Source: Hewlett, Sylvia Ann. October 30, 2013. “Talks at Goggle.”Source: Green, Michele C. October 17, 2013. “The Difference Between Mentoring and Sponsoring.”

7 Habits of Highly Effective Sponsors

1. Identify your current passion

2. Be Mindful, Sponsor Deliberately

3. Seek diverse protégés that will spread your brand- don’t think too small, reach across the org.

4. Re-evaluate current mentee relationships; Stop Over-Mentoring!!!

5. Build TRUST; create a supportive atmosphere; GIVE FEEDBACK!!!

6. Help create a cultural of sponsorship in your organization: Talk to your peers- look for high-potentials and share success stories

7. Recognize that Talent Planning & Succession conversations are Sponsorship conversations

Part 3- Getting Adopted

• To be highly successful in our global economy senior leaders lead deep diverse pockets throughout the org/industry.

• Avoid Lawsuits

• Diversity increases their bottom-line by increases market share or avoid loses in emerging markets

Where do I start?

For Protégés and Sponsors

Part 3- Getting Adopted

Part 3- Getting AdoptedWhat’s been done before?* Protégé Actions**

Focus on your work and being the high-potential/high performer and “just get noticed”

Decide your dream; what are your career goals?

Know what experiences or projects you need to succeed and go for it- by asking or seeking new positions even outside your current department

Assess your current mentor relationships

Leading with YES and swallowing your ambivalence Evaluate your brand; Ensure you are a top performer; Exude Executive Presence

Recognize that leadership isn’t about a title/position Stop restricting your pool of sponsorship candidates

Risk leaving the organization and seek a completely new opportunity elsewhere

Lead with “YES!”

Decide on your approach….you can ask.

* Source: Henry, Angel G. (2017). Personal Interview with C-Suite staff at KAR Auction Services. **Source: Hewlett, Sylvia Ann. October 30, 2013. “Talks at Goggle”.

Part 3- Getting Adopted

Source: CTI. (2013). Sylvia Ann Hewlett “Talks at Goggle”.

Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t be too restrictive in your sponsorship alliance/partnerships

Avoid the other gender or other races

Thinking you need to LIKE them- that’s what mentors are for!!!

Don’t mix the MENTOR and SPONSOR too often; if they are one in the same be sure they know which “hat” to wear when you are meeting

STOP Over- Mentoring!!! But know that sponsorship is risky business.

Don’t think “what can I get?” instead Ask “what can I give?”

ROI: Innovation + Diversity = Increased Market Share and Increased New Market Growth

Keep the conversation going at:angel@angelsspeaking.com

References

1. Green, Michele C. (2013). The Difference Between Mentoring and Sponsoring. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9h5OACu_Cg&t=92s

2. Harris, Carla A. (2010). Expect to Win 10: Proven Strategies for Thriving in the Workplace. The Penguin Group. Chapter 5: The Mentor, the Sponsor, the Advisor, pgs. 101-127

3. Henry, Angel G. (2017). Personal Interviews with C-Suite staff at KAR Auction Services. [Anonymity Guaranteed]

4. Hewlett, Sylvia Ann. (2013). Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor: The New Way to Fast-Track Your Career.

5. Hewlett, Sylvia Ann. (2013). Talks at Goggle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i83HLA3a0DQ&t=1458s

6. McGirt, Ellen. (2016). Why race and culture matter in the c-suite. http://fortune.com/black-executives-men-c-suite/

7. Lanis, J.R. (2018). An Overview of California’s New Law Mandating Women on Corporate Boards. https://www.law.com/therecorder/2018/11/12/an-overview-of-californias-new-law-mandating-women-on-corporate-boards/?slreturn=20190314153004