Sponsorship at Work: Who Speaks for You?
Who speaks for you when you are not in the room? This is one of the most important career questions a person can ask. The simple answer is a Sponsor.
A sponsor is someone who has a seat at the table and uses their influence to actively advocate for you, particularly when decisions are made behind closed doors. Think promotion, new opportunities, that project you are all vying for, etc. Not having a sponsor is a gap, especially for people who are excellent at their job but are underleveraged politically within an organisation.
Here are 5 reasons a sponsor is vital for your career:
1. Someone Advocates Behind Closed Doors
Most promotions and stretch assignments are discussed when you are not present.
A sponsor will mention your name in talent reviews; they will defend your readiness for a stretch assignment and reframe any concerns people have about you. They will often push for your inclusion in highly visible opportunities. If no one speaks for you in a room that you are not in, decisions are made without your narrative.
2. Access to Stretch Opportunities
Your career will not grow because you do your current role well. It will grow from getting access to a bigger scope.
A sponsor will recommend you for cross-functional projects and will actively put you forward to bigger or more senior roles. Also, the best part of a sponsor’s seat at the table is that they know about upcoming opportunities before others, giving you “first refusal” or a helping hand to prepare early. If you have sponsorship, you get nominated, but without it, you have to self-nominate.
3. Protection
The higher you rise, the more visible your mistakes become. A sponsor shelters you from adverse politics, provides appropriate context if you find yourself in trouble and has the language and experience to help frame any failures you encounter. They can ensure that one failure is not the definition of your career.
4. Fast-Track Credibility
When a Leader puts their reputation on the line with sentences such as “I trust her,” “He is ready,” or “Give them the opportunity,” you get instant credibility. This trust means you are not in a queue waiting for your turn. It shortens your route to seniority and other growth opportunities.
5. Clarity & Effort
Performance, regardless of how well or how high, rarely gets you promoted. A sponsor helps you understand what decision-makers value, gives you genuine feedback on the gaps that hold you back, and provides you with the knowledge of who actually makes that promotion decision. When you know the perception senior leaders have of you, it is information currency.
So, who speaks for you when you are not in the room? If you cannot name anyone, here is your chance to make an especially important change for your career. You can have 5 mentors, 20 supporters, and the best performance record, but if you do not have at least one sponsor with influence, you are stalling your growth. For career growth beyond the first rungs of the ladder towards senior leadership, find a sponsor.
This article is not personal advice. The information contained in this article has been designed for educational and informational purposes only and not for your specific circumstance. It is provided solely to enable you to make your own choices. No material in this article is a substitute for professional advice.
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