Bringing Others Along with You
Hi everyone,
Here's your Sunday Evening "More Answers..." to help you head into the work week-- remember, you can see previous newsletters at https://www.askchrista.com/blog/, and all topics are related to the many advising and messaging exchanges I've had each week!
Tonight’s topic? The importance of sponsorship: YOUR sponsorship.
You may not think of yourself as someone who would sponsor someone else, as though you need to be an executive or someone who has at least ten years' experience behind them, but that's not true. Sponsorship is about bringing someone along with you, sticking your neck out, speaking up on their behalf, putting strength toward their success.
The Work Gets Better When the People Get Better...
It's rare for people to have the skill (and "gut feel") of noticing someone’s gifts and doing something about it to enable their career growth. Work becomes richer, more collaborative, and more human when we take the time to recognize the qualities in others that make the whole team better. (and y'all know how I feel about our human-ness at work)
Sometimes those qualities are obvious. Other times they are quieter but profound:
• the person who listens deeply
• the one who sees ideas from every angle
• the steady temperament that stays calm when everyone goes tense
• the optimist who spots opportunity when the stakes rise or
• the teammate who shows up, every single time, without fail
These qualities are easy to overlook when the pace is fast and/or things get chaotic, but they're also the qualities we ALL must amplify if we want people to grow... and we grow when we help others grow.
How to Spot Special Qualities in Your Colleagues
People show their strengths in the small moments that most miss. Research on strengths spotting shows that people who feel seen for their unique abilities experience higher engagement and sustained motivation (Quinlan et al., 2012).
Want to get started? Look for people who exhibit these behaviors:
• who asks good questions?
• who puts others at ease in a sincere way?
• who builds clarity when things get messy?
• who takes responsibility without waiting to be asked?
• who imagines possibilities instead of shutting them down?
When you spot a special quality in someone, say something-- and be specific (btw, that's me, Christa, using the em-dash in the right way ;]).
Also: share how the special quality impacted the bigger picture. Recognition is one of the fastest ways to let people know they matter, and being specific in your recognition let's them know you're paying attention.
Next Step? Pull the Levers That Matter
Spotting talent is only the first step; the next step is sponsorship.
Sponsorship differs from mentorship. Mentors advise; sponsors act. Sponsors open doors, create opportunities, and advocate for someone’s growth by elevating their profile and creating presence whether they are in a room or not.
Research supports that sponsorship is one of the strongest predictors of accelerated career progression because it involves real influence and real stakes (Ibarra et al., 2010).
Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get you started on sponsorship:
• Whose name can I bring into this conversation?
• Who deserves visibility on this project?
• Whose skill could shine brighter if I removed a barrier?
• Where can I move over and coach someone else to become more visible?
To bring others with you is to believe in them so clearly that they AND OTHERS begin to believe in themselves as you do.
Building the Habit of Boosting Up Others (and having the courage to do so...)
I talked about courage in last week's news letter, and this week's topic is an appropriate extension in a few ways. Bringing people along requires courage. You are speaking up on behalf of others, and you are often taking a chance on someone who is ready for their career next step.
Bravery grows with practice, so try small steps:
• highlight a colleague’s contribution in your next meeting
• invite a quieter teammate to share their perspective (and plan it out WITH THEM if they are so shy that they'll feel put on the spot!)
• let someone else take the lead so they can be seen
Over time, sponsorship not only becomes easier, but also more natural AND part of your identity.
BOOSTER FOR YOUR WEEK!!!
Carla Harris focuses on various career tips for career growth. I am not affiliated with her, but I found an excellent video from her called The Power of Sponsorship: How to Get Support in Your Career.
In her video, she talks about performance, exposure, proximity, and familiarity. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and that you might find support from her other videos.
And remember, if you have a business challenge or workplace issue... Ask Christa!
REFERENCES
Ibarra, H., Carter, N. M., & Silva, C. (2010). Why men still get more promotions than women. Harvard Business Review, 88(9), 80–85.
Quinlan, D., Swain, N., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2012). Character strengths interventions: Building on what works best. Journal of Positive Psychology, 7(3), 193–203. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2012.686986
