mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles

business partners smiling in an urban settingplus 18 ways to help.

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

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.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: is sponsorship right for your firm? | and now, a few words about sex (and 14 tips) | make flexible scheduling work for everyone | your protégée needs your feedback |  9 ways to promote your protégée to others | 8 ways to help your protégée focus on career opportunities | how to start an effective sponsorship … and follow through | 3 ways to initiate informal sponsorship | 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well

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. read more →

4 ways women leaders improve firms

senior businesswoman studying proposalplus 6 market advantages.

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.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: is sponsorship right for your firm? | and now, a few words about sex (and 14 tips) | make flexible scheduling work for everyone | your protégée needs your feedback |  9 ways to promote your protégée to others | 8 ways to help your protégée focus on career opportunities | 3 ways to initiate informal sponsorship | how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship | 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | why women resist networking and powerful role models | women must see politics as leadership to get ahead | mommy bias persists | different standards, double binds challenge women

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.

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. read more →

cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

businesswoman and businessman reviewing a document.beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters.

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: is sponsorship right for your firm? | and now, a few words about sex (and 14 tips) | make flexible scheduling work for everyone | your protégée needs your feedback |  9 ways to promote your protégée to others | 8 ways to help your protégée focus on career opportunities | how to start an effective sponsorship … and follow through | 3 ways to initiate informal sponsorship | how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship | 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | fear of sex and rumors inhibits sponsorship | why women resist networking and powerful role models

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. this requires direct per­sonal involvement by leaders, particularly leaders who are men. read more →

is sponsorship right for your firm?

man in striped shirt holding spiral binder and talking to woman at laptop6 steps to help you get started.

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.

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.

 more on sponsoring women for leadership: and now, a few words about sex (and 14 tips) | make flexible scheduling work for everyone | your protégée needs your feedback |  9 ways to promote your protégée to others | 8 ways to help your protégée focus on career opportunities | how to start an effective sponsorship … and follow through | 3 ways to initiate informal sponsorship | how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship | 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | fear of sex and rumors inhibits sponsorship | why women resist networking and powerful role models | women must see politics as leadership to get ahead | mommy bias persists | different standards, double binds challenge women | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms | 3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées | men advance 2 to 1 over women without sponsors | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | the 6 market advantages of women-led firms | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

in return, sponsors receive personal satisfaction and capable and loyal leaders who help them achieve their business goals and build their legacy. read more →

and now, a few words about sex (and 14 tips)

businesswoman and businessmanyour protégée may have concerns. you should anticipate them.

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.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: your protégée needs your feedback |  9 ways to promote your protégée to others | 8 ways to help your protégée focus on career opportunities | how to start an effective sponsorship … and follow through | 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | fear of sex and rumors inhibits sponsorship | why women resist networking and powerful role models | different standards, double binds challenge women | 3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

some men use these concerns as rationalizations to avoid sponsoring women for other reasons. don’t be one of them.

read more →

make flexible scheduling work for everyone

businesswoman holding a clockyour protégée needs you to have her back.

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.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: your protégée needs your feedback |  9 ways to promote your protégée to others | 8 ways to help your protégée focus on career opportunities | how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship | women must see politics as leadership to get ahead | mommy bias persists | different standards, double binds challenge women | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms | men advance 2 to 1 over women without sponsors | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

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 →

9 ways to promote your protégée to others

businesswoman being applauded by peersgood news: you don’t have to do it alone.

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

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

more on sponsoring women for leadership: 8 ways to help your protégée focus on career opportunities | how to start an effective sponsorship … and follow through | 3 ways to initiate informal sponsorship | how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship | 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | different standards, double binds challenge women | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms | 3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées | men advance 2 to 1 over women without sponsors | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

here are nine concrete steps: read more →

8 ways to help your protégée focus on career opportunities

man showing woman something on laptop computerbeware of gender traps.

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.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: how to start an effective sponsorship … and follow through | 3 ways to initiate informal sponsorship | how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship | women must see politics as leadership to get ahead | different standards, double binds challenge women | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms | 3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées | men advance 2 to 1 over women without sponsors | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

here are some concrete steps to take: read more →

how to start an effective sponsorship … and follow through

woman in white office meeting with man17 specific action steps you should take.

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.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: 3 ways to initiate informal sponsorship | how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship | 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | fear of sex and rumors inhibits sponsorship | why women resist networking and powerful role models | women must see politics as leadership to get ahead | mommy bias persists | different standards, double binds challenge women | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms

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. read more →

how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship

business man and woman reading news in magazinefour keys for starting from scratch.

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.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | why women resist networking and powerful role models | women must see politics as leadership to get ahead | mommy bias persists | different standards, double binds challenge women | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms | 3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | the 6 market advantages of women-led firms | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

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.

read more →

fears of sexual innuendo and office gossip block talent development

career penalties for romance are greater for junior women than senior men.

image of a female executive explaining something to her boss in office.by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

a close work relationship between a man and a woman can generate sexual tensions in one or both of them.

when the man is older and powerful and the woman is young and ambitious, the potential for complications is even greater.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: why women resist networking and powerful role models | women must see politics as leadership to get ahead | mommy bias persists | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms | 3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | the 6 market advantages of women-led firms | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

even when the relationship is strictly business focused, it can be the subject of rumors, gossip and speculation among coworkers, and it can arouse feelings of jealousy and resentment in the sponsor’s wife.

read more →