What is sponsorship?

- Let's talk about what sponsorship is and what is not. Sponsorship is when a senior person, the sponsor, takes on the responsibility of doing what it takes to promote the career advancement of a high performer in the organization, the protege. Sponsors do this by leveraging their own influence, their own power, relationships, and gravitas to propel their protege's career. They help them to navigate organizational culture, intervene on their behalf when necessary, ensure key opportunities for career advancement and business development, they raise their protege's visibility, and act as their champion when it comes to promotions and compensation. Sponsorship is different from coaching or mentorship. Mentors and coaches don't have to be in a senior position. Folks on many levels of the organization can provide mentoring. That is, you know, sharing career advice and coaching and correcting performance, decoding cultural…