How to Find a Sponsor to Fast-Track Your Career

By Dennis McCafferty | Posted 2013-09-19

He's not your buddy, and he's not your boss. He's not even someone you work with on a daily basis. However, he could very well have a more positive influence on your career than any of those colleagues. He (or she) is called a sponsor, and there is sure to be one in your organization. As a sponsor, this individual is capable of making things happen in your career that you could never do on your own. However, for that to happen, you must make a successful connection. The recent book, Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor: The New Way to Fast-Track Your Career (Harvard Business Review Press/available now), examines this emerging trend in-depth. Author Sylvia Ann Hewlett illustrates useful best practices to help you make a meaningful connection to potential sponsor executives—and to take full advantage of the opportunity once you do. The accomplished CEOs and business leaders who, in their earlier years, benefitted by pursuing sponsorships include Brady Dougan of Credit Suisse, Pat Fili-Krushel of NBC Universal News and Sallie Krawcheck of Bank of America. Hewlett is an economist and founding chair and CEO of the Center for Talent Innovation.

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Set Your Target Range

Your sponsor should rank at least two levels above you—high enough to make impact but close enough to get a line of sight on your work.
Screen for Effectiveness

Ask co-workers and managers which sponsor candidates are influential in areas that interest you, and which ones don't command the same clout.
Increase Internal Visibility

Volunteer for roles in companywide strategic committees. Build a cloud-based, shared resources system for multiple departments.
Get in Front of the Candidate

See if your boss will set up a meeting. Have your elevator speech ready to go in case you bump into your intended sponsor.
Make "Bump Into" Moments

Try to attend some of the same work/industry/networking events as your intended sponsor—but avoid stalking.
Align With Your Sponsor's Agenda

You should know what your potential sponsor's action items are, and craft your plan as a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Make Buy-In as Easy as Possible

Complete research work on the project—with metrics—in advance. Offer to do most of the grunt work so the sponsor only has to get buy-in.
Propose Quid Pro Quo

In exchange for support, offer to do something valuable for your sponsor—like giving pointers on social media.
Lose the "Me" Word

In any conversation, you should describe the project's worth in terms of what it can do for your organization—not your career.
Accept the Sponsor's Leadership Style

You're looking for a champion—not a friend. The sponsor doesn't need to have a personal manner that you want to emulate.
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