HBR Women at Work Series Collection (3 Books)

12

Sponsorship: Defining the Relationship

A conversation with Rosalind Chow

To get ahead at work, we need support from people besides our boss. Sometimes that comes in the form of mentorship, where a person with more experience gives us advice or guidance on how we can improve. But there is another kind of support that is equally if not more important: sponsorship, where someone with a lot of power in the company advocates on our behalf.

Having a sponsor—someone who can use their influence to push your career forward—is invaluable. But how exactly sponsors do this, and what your role is in making it happen, isn’t always clear-cut. Who should we be seeking to sponsor us? Should sponsors be candid with their protégés about what they’re doing on ...