Mentors share advice, sponsors share opportunities. Both are important and useful, but sponsorship accelerates careers. Underrepresented people are over-mentored and under-sponsored.
In the last couple of weeks I’ve had several firsts:
- my first article in Harvard Business Review with Alexandra Samuel, Ph.D.
- my first time on CBC Radio on Michelle Eliot’s BC Today
- my first time on CBC TV News, as an expert talking about DEI and hybrid work for a piece by Janella Hamilton
It was exciting and humbling to have smart women I admire open doors I didn’t even know existed and support me to be successful. Alex saw this opportunity to write a piece on hybrid work and DEI measurement as a way for me to meet her editor Ania Wieckowski. Alex has been a guest on CBC radio many times and pitched the two of us to Michelle. Alex and I had a quick prep call to make sure we both knew the key points that the other wanted to make. Michelle mentioned the session went well to Janella, who phoned and asked if I could do an on camera interview. Even though I have the skills to do all of these things I hadn’t had the chance to do any of them before. I’m grateful and humbled to have had these opportunities.
How can you sponsor others? How have others sponsored you?
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