1. What mentor or sponsor had the biggest influence on you and what did you learn?
I've been blessed to have a blend of mentors and sponsors over my career. Mentors have served as mirrors and guides - helping me to sharpen, expand and demonstrate/prove my abilities. Sponsors have helped me to establish a reputation and brand, made opportunities happen and shielded me from unfair criticisms. Early in my career I had more mentors than sponsors. As your career progresses, the two often merge and senior level mentors also sponsor (across markets, geographies and industries).
Four lessons I've embedded into my career planning:
- "Go where you're needed" - Magazine Executive Editor - counsel provided when deciding which company to join.
- "Don't leave one job until it sets you up for the next" - Colleague - advice when determining when to leave an organization or position.
- "Ask WHEN?" - Executive Coach - changing my habit of saying "yes" to all requests and overloading my schedule. I was taught to use my calendar as the "bad guy" allowing me to respond sensibly.
- "Move from reporting the score, to changing the score" - multiple executive mentors instructed me to focus on "impact" not just "action."
2. What advice can you share about how to seek out a mentor or sponsor?
It's best to have a full range of mentors - from situational mentors to relational mentors and market-based mentors - as well as sponsors.
- Situational mentor (individuals usually 1-2 levels in seniority that can provide guidance/direction on a unique or specific job situation - e.g. job shift from government into private sector) - often begins with asking a senior individual to provide counsel over a discrete set of actions/issues that pertain to a career situation that is familiar for them.
- Relational mentors (sometimes supervisors or other leads 1-2 levels in seniority, who have a style that resonates, or you would like to emulate) - emerge over time based on shared professional or personal interests or admiration for a leadership style. Generally the relational mentor is not your direct supervisor, and often it's best if outside of your reporting hierarchy.
- Market-based mentors (leaders 2-3 layers up, who are outside of your organization, in the market, who can broaden your perspective and eventually become sponsors) - are usually identified by engaging in industry related events and organizations. These connections usually remain over a career.
- Sponsors - to seek out a sponsor, it is beneficial to have a proven record of performance in an area or program that compliments the desired sponsor's career path. The focus is either long-term career development and succession or a specific promotion to the next level.
3. How important is having a sponsor in order to advance in an organization?
Sponsors are not only important to advance in an organization, but to increase options and leverage in the market outside of an organization. Sponsors are most critical at key promotions and transitions (staff to management, project management to program management, senior management to executive management.)
4. As a mentor (or sponsor) to many people over the years, what are your expectations of the prot�g�?
A strong mentor/sponsorship relationship is bi-lateral, both sides gain significantly. I have learned more from my prot�g�s over the years, than the coaching I've provided. My top four expectations of my prot�g�s are:
- The ability to articulate the objective of the mentoring/sponsorship partnership - What are you trying to achieve? How I can assist?
- The willingness to experiment and move out of comfort zones, adopting new approaches
- The maturity to maintain confidentiality and confidence to offer perspectives, and push-back on the mentor
- The respect of time and schedule to set meeting times and dates - usually once a month or quarter.
5. Mentoring is a two-way street. What have you gained from being a mentor or a sponsor?
At a certain point of your career, you no longer track your personal milestones; you treasure the milestones you help create for others. Sponsoring someone to a promotion, expanded role, or career shift is extremely rewarding and can feel like winning a chess match. The mentoring process keeps you relevant to the issues that affect professionals at all stages of the career ladder; and humble, as you identify your leadership gaps while exploring different career scenarios.
The hardest part of being a mentor/sponsor is "practicing what you preach". For example, many of my female prot�g�s tend to feast on negative or tough developmental feedback versus to analyze and exploit positive feedback on their capabilities. I've learned to give feedback in this area, as a result of my tendency to make the same mistake. Each time I'm inclined to obsess over my own developmental areas, I harken back to my mentoring feedback and think "coach, heal thyself!"
TONI TOWNES-WHITLEY is Senior Vice-President, Civilian Agency Programs (CAP), Federal Group, CGI. She is a member of the U.S. Executive Management Committee, as well as the Strategic Growth Council, which drives the growth of the U.S. business. Toni is a recognized leader in the IT market, formerly serving as President of Women in Technology (WIT), which promotes women's advancement in all fields of technology. She currently serves on the Leadership Foundry - enabling Executive women to secure Board Director positions. Ms. Townes-Whitley is a former Peace Corps volunteer, serving in central Africa from 1986-1989, and a graduate of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School.
To read more about Ms. Townes-Whitley's accomplishments and work at CGI, click here.