Sponsoring is a partnership of achievement and advocacy.
If you want to be an ally who sponsors, you must get to know the people in your organization and intentionally seek out those who are diverse. Once you know them, you can recognize when there are opportunities to help them grow.
How to Sponsor
Sponsorship is all about supporting an individual when they are not present, and ensuring they are considered for new roles, projects, or opportunities that they might not even be aware of.
This type of relationship will typically start through mentorship. Consider who in your organization might benefit from a mentorship relationship with you.
This mentorship relationship is not dependent on hierarchical power, as you can sponsor your peers and even your management in certain situations. However, it is dependent on having a relationship where you understand the aspirations and capabilities of another individual and can vouch for their capabilities.
Sponsoring is another activity that you need to do with someone else’s permission, so you will need to build up to actions in this area.
Your Sponsoring Assignment
Look around and identify someone who you could mentor who is not like you. Consider what value you could add to their experience in a mentorship relationship.
Consider approaching them to ask if they are interested in having coffee or a 1:1 with you. Without specifically asking them yet, consider in this discussion if it would feel appropriate to offer to mentor them.
Here are some ways to open that discussion:
- “I really like the way you do XX. I have some experience in that area too. Would you be interested in us spending more time together so I can share what I’ve done that has worked?”
- “I noticed you were having a hard time with XX. That is an area where I’ve had some success. Would you be interested in us spending some time together so I can support you more?”
- “I really love the way you did XX and YY. I think ZZ could benefit from knowing what you have done. Would you be open to me doing an introduction for you?”
Use the Sponsoring section of your ALLIES Activity packet to record what you noticed, what you said or did, and what the impact was.