The first time I
really started thinking about the phrase 'sponsor' is when I read Sheryl
Sandberg's book ‘Lean In’. She explains it quite well and it made so much sense
to me. There is a fundamental difference between a mentor and a sponsor, and
Rosa touched on this in the last post. A sponsor is somebody preferably within
your organization who is there, physically and emotionally, who will bat for
you. A mentor is a person invested in your growth, but more from the sidelines
as opposed to being in the middle of the day-to-day operations. That's how I
understand it at least.
While thinking
about this, I remembered seeing 'The Hunger Games', a perfect example of how
sponsorship works. You might think "What does the movie have anything to
do with what we're talking about?", but hear me out...
Read MoreAn interesting discussion with
an architect colleague a few nights ago followed by the timely discovery
of this article the next day on Quartz called "To get promoted, Women need Champions, Not Mentors" brings us to an interesting point for discussion. Providing a resounding affirmation within the title, the article references Sylvia Ann Hewlett's book "(forget a mentor) Find a Sponsor" , which makes a compelling case for why Sponsorship is more powerful than mentorship in terms of career advancement.
Who’s pulling for you? Who’s defending your position? Who’s suggesting you for
the lead role in the next project? Odds are this person is not a mentor
but a sponsor. Mentors can
build your self-esteem and provide a sounding board - but they are
likely not the ones who will help advance your promotions or career.
Read MoreThere has been much discussion raised about "Why are women leaving
Architecture?" and more broadly, "Why is the profession losing key
talent?" Both women and men practitioners are disillusioned by the myth
of work/life balance: Women are grappling with "have it all"
expectations of juggling family time with the demands of full-time
work. Men are struggling to support their families solely on an
architect's salary and fall back on spouses to maintain their jobs while
re-evaluating roles of primary caregiver. The lack of affordable
childcare and the high cost of living only magnifies the challenges.
How did we end up in this modern family dilemma? What can we do to
improve the situation?
Read More