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Greetings!


Which is most important - to have a mentor or a sponsor?  

 

Whether you are considering this question as someone who wants to advance her career or as an HR expert grappling with the issue, it is an important question.  Some recent research indicates that women are often over-mentored and under-sponsored.  I agree with those findings, but I also believe that both mentors and sponsors are instrumental to a woman's growth as a person and a leader.  

 

Too often, women wait for someone to offer to be a mentor or sponsor.  And we may rely on one mentor or sponsor to support us.  Men are much more likely to have many sponsors and mentors and frequently seek out and ask for support from people they deem could help them enhance their capabilities or open new doors.  It is important to understand the distinction between these roles and then become more purposeful in developing key connections to create your own network of mentors and sponsors.

 

We are delighted this month to have Toni Townes-Whitley as our guest contributor.  Toni, Senior VP, Civilian Agency Programs, at CGI Federal, is well known in the technology community as a strong advocate for women.  I got to know Toni when she was president of Women In Technology (WIT), where her passion for getting more women on corporate boards sparked the creation of WIT's Leadership Foundry.  Toni has been a mentor and sponsor for many during her career, so be sure to read "5 Questions", where Toni shares her insights and tips on effective mentoring and sponsorship. 

 

We hope that you gain some new insights from Toni's experience and from the additional resources that we share in this issue.  Perhaps it will inspire you to become a mentor or a sponsor to other women.  Or maybe it will prompt you to seek out a new mentor or sponsor, who will challenge and support you.  

 

Whether conversing with your mentor, sponsor or prot�g�, your effectiveness depends on the quality of the conversation.  Make it a purposeful one!

 

Warmest regards,

  Nancy signature

  

  

  

  

Nancy Lamberton
Leadership Coach
Facilitator for Nebo's Nebo for Women web courses

Please send comments and suggestions to [email protected].
5 Questions
with Toni Townes-Whitley
Senior Vice President, Civilian Agency Programs, CGI

  

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

  More Mentoring Resources
 
Books
 
Edelman, Marian Wright. Lanterns:A Memoir of Mentors
 
 

Articles

 

Delong, Thomas J., John J. Gabarro, and Robert J. Lees. "Why Mentoring Matters in a Hypercompetitive World.Harvard Business Review, January 2008.

 

Thomas, David A.  "The Truth About Mentoring Minorities: Race Matters." Harvard Business Review, April 2001.

 

Dahle, Cheryl.  "Women's Ways Of Mentoring.Fast Company, August 2008.  

October 2013  
Join Our Mailing List
In This Issue
5 Questions with Toni Townes-Whitley
Mentoring Resources
Mentor~wise Blog
Elements of Modern Mentoring
WIT Accepting Applications for Mentoring Program
Does your organization mentor?
International Day of the Girl

Every other week on Mentor~wise, Nebo's Nancy Lamberton shares tips and insights to inspire and support mentors who want to enhance their own effectiveness and make a difference in the lives and careers of their mentees. 

 

Check out this week's blog post on how the stories we tell impact a mentoring conversation and sign up to receive Mentor~Wise. 


Elements of Modern Mentoring 

  • Establishes a safe environment for change and innovation
  • Builds trust and authentic connection
  • Helps mentees see new possibilities 
  • Consists of purposeful, forward-looking conversations
  • Creates a learning partnership

Looking to modernize your own mentoring program? Nebo has helped many organizations - from associations to universities and corporate entities -- implement highly effective mentoring programs. The best mentoring programs are instrumental in creating a culture where learning from each other and developing leaders at every level of the organization are priorities.  Contact us for more information.  

Premier DC- area women's mentoring program: accepting applications now

 

Women In Technology, a Washington DC-area organization focusing on advancing women, is taking applications now for prot�g�s and mentors. Linking prot�g�s with experienced professionals, Mentor-Prot�g� takes participants through a structured program that helps them expand their exposure to and knowledge of what it takes to meet their goals. Click here for more information. 

Does your organization support mentoring?

 

We'd like to feature your exceptional mentor program that supports women or girls in our newsletter in upcoming months. Please contact us with your story at [email protected]

Today is International Day of the Girl!

 

In 2011, the UN declared October 11 to be International Day of the Girl Child. The theme for this year's celebration is Innovating for Girl's Education. Check out this inspirational video of girls' education activist Malala Yousafzai on the Daily Show and consider supporting girls' education through the Malala Fund or your favorite organization. 

 

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