18 ways to boost your protégée

plus the difference between a mentor and a sponsor.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

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the practice of mentorship is well known and well established in today’s workplace. a mentor is someone who helps a more junior person learn, develop and achieve her professional goals.

mentoring is the process by which the mentor and mentee work together to identify and help the mentee move toward those goals. but sponsorship is intended specifically to promote career advancement.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: women leaders provide 6 market advantages | why cpa firms need more womenbeyond mentoring to sponsorship | protect your protégée from flextime saboteurs | how to keep sex from derailing a sponsorship | ‘soft skills’ advice needed, too | use others to promote your protégée | 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 17 ways sponsors can help protégées | 3 ways to open a sponsorship conversation | what sponsors need from

mentors serve a variety of roles and functions. some of these roles support professional development, socialization and confidence building, while others are directed at career advancement. a mentor may serve several of these functions or only one or two, and many mentors who advocate for their mentees eventually become sponsors.

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women leaders provide 6 market advantages

businesswoman standing on outdoor bridgebonus checklists: 4 benefits for organizations and 9 benefits for sponsors.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

most male leaders today under­stand how important it is to keep high-performing women in the pipeline and help them achieve their potential within the organization.

these men are genuinely concerned about their firms’ inability to retain and advance the women they hire because having a substantial number of women leaders is a demonstrably significant benefit to the company, while a lack of gender diversity at the top of organizations can be very costly to the bottom line.

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more on sponsoring women for leadership: why cpa firms need more women | beyond mentoring to sponsorship | how to keep sex from derailing a sponsorship | ‘soft skills’ advice needed, too | use others to promote your protégée | 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 3 ways to open a sponsorship conversation | what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles

in an increasingly competitive market for talent, retaining the best people and placing them in executive roles where they can have the greatest impact is a business imperative. abundant research shows that companies with higher percentages of women leaders and senior-level managers tend to outperform their competitors.

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why cpa firms need more women


two women shaking hands across a tableto recruit the best, you must sponsor women for leadership.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

smart accounting firm leaders want to be in the forefront of efforts to advance women.

as the global economy continues to become more competitive, firms need to use all the talent they can muster — and more and more of that talent will be women.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: beyond mentoring to sponsorship | ‘soft skills’ advice needed, too | use others to promote your protégée | 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 17 ways sponsors can help protégées | 3 ways to open a sponsorship conversation | what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms

companies that successfully tap into the full potential of women will be far ahead of their competitors. the key to doing it is to identify women who are likely to succeed and sponsor them, so they reach the top levels of leadership. that requires direct per­sonal involvement by leaders, particularly leaders who are men.

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beyond mentoring to sponsorship

young businesswoman working at laptop while businessman looks onbonus checklists: 6 ways to evaluate your firm.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

sponsorship is a personal undertaking. a man who sponsors a woman takes it upon himself to advance her career. he puts his reputation on the line for her and tells the world she is worth it.

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more on sponsoring women for leadership: protect your protégée from flextime saboteurs | ‘soft skills’ advice needed, too | use others to promote your protégée | 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 17 ways sponsors can help protégées | what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

she still has to earn that promotion, but his solid, public vote of confidence – and the power he puts behind it – at least gives her a fair chance to get it. read more →

protect your protégée from flextime saboteurs

woman sitting at office desk looks at her watchflexible scheduling can benefit everyone, but some people don’t see it that way.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

a talented, ambitious woman who works less than full time or takes extended family leave is extremely vulnerable to being derailed professionally.

whether because she is “out of sight/out of mind,” or because people doubt her commitment, she may be disregarded for promotions or high-profile projects.

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more on sponsoring women for leadership: ‘soft skills’ advice needed, too | use others to promote your protégée | 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 17 ways sponsors can help protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

a sponsor can ensure that she has access to those opportunities and support when she accepts them. he can make the difference between this woman staying on track and ascending to top leadership posts or leaving the company for another job. read more →

how to keep sex from derailing a sponsorship

businesswoman and businessman meetingbonus checklist: 14 ways to prevent trouble.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

if you are concerned about the possibility of sex-related problems, consider the degree of risk involved and whether you are willing to assume it.

before you decide, consider

  • first that you might be exaggerating the risk, and
  • second that this is a risk that can be prevented and managed.
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more on sponsoring women for leadership: use others to promote your protégée | 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 17 ways sponsors can help protégées | what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | keep close relationships from getting too close | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | women need promotions, not just advice | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

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‘soft skills’ advice needed, too

four businesswoman having a meeting around a tableyour protégée needs feedback. sometimes you’ll need help providing it.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

feedback is important at any level of professional development.

but for a woman trying to become a leader, honest, clear and practical feedback is essential. she needs to know both how well she is performing and how to project the image she wants others to have of her.

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more on sponsoring women for leadership: use others to promote your protégée | 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 3 ways to open a sponsorship conversation | what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

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use others to promote your protégée

businesswoman presenting chart to colleagues9 ways to help her be more visible and get better assignments.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

promoting your protégée to others is an important part of sponsorship.

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more on sponsoring women for leadership: 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 17 ways sponsors can help protégées what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | keep close relationships from getting too close | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

here are nine concrete steps: read more →

8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities

businesswoman at crossroads, facing two pathshelp your protégée showcase her strengths, but leave the final career decisions up to her.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

once you have identified a woman to sponsor and determined that you click, you may be wondering how to get started.

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more on sponsoring women for leadership: 17 ways sponsors can help protégées | 3 ways to open a sponsorship conversation | what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

here are some concrete steps to take:
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17 ways sponsors can help protégées

businessman and his female protegee working on a projectan effective sponsorship requires that you follow through.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

when you sponsor a woman, there are many steps that you can take to ensure that the relationship is productive and achieves its objectives.

here are some tips for getting off to a strong start and following through effectively, especially by focusing on career opportunities and promoting your protégée to others.

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more on sponsoring women for leadership: 3 ways to open a sponsorship conversation | what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | keep close relationships from getting too close | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

early in the process

  • ask her how you can help. the protégée might have some specific ideas in mind. ask her how you can best help her to be successful and what she hopes to gain from your support.

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3 ways to open a sponsorship conversation

businessman in pink tie showing businesswoman document at his desk.and how to decide whether to spend the political capital.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

most sponsorship occurs informally, without any structured or programmatic context. informal sponsor-protégée relationships usually start in one of three ways.

the most common way is when a senior manager or partner

  • identifies someone as a star performer,
  • believes that she has what it takes to succeed and
  • wants to make that success happen.

the sponsor recognizes her talent and potential while they work together or when he observes her at work and is impressed by her ability. as the two work together their relationship grows.

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more on sponsoring women for leadership: what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | keep close relationships from getting too close | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

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what sponsors need from protégées

businessman giving advice to female coworkerit goes both ways, you know.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

most leaders engage in sponsorship and have been sponsored themselves, so the nature of a sponsor-protégée relationship should be familiar.

generally speaking, you sponsor women just as you do men. you may have to make a little more effort up front. and you might need to adapt to the impact of motherhood and other sex-related differences. but the strategies and tactics that sponsors use to help women move ahead are not much different than those for men.

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more on sponsoring women for leadership: 3 ways to derail sponsorships | keep close relationships from getting too close | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

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3 ways to derail sponsorships

woman yelling at tiny man she is holding in fingertipswomen and men can work together well, but sometimes it takes work.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

we know that even when a relationship between a woman and a man is strictly business-focused, others may not see it that way. here are three thorny issues to watch for and quell.

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more on sponsoring women for leadership: keep close relationships from getting too close | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

1. gossip and rumors

relationships in the workplace are frequently the subject of rumors, and close relationships between senior men and junior women are tasty fodder for the gossip mill. because sponsorship between a man and woman is not as common as sponsorship between two men, it is more noticeable and subjects the man and woman to greater scrutiny. read more →