Presentation at the AASA/ACSA Women in School Leadership Forum, October 1, 2015.

1. The Roles of Networking,
Mentoring, and Sponsoring in
Career Advancement and
Professional Growth
#WSLF15
Presented by
Dr. Shelly Yarbrough @yarbroughshelly
Dr. April Moore @aprilmmoore
Dr. Dawn Smith @functionalteam
Yvonne McFadzean @jyvonne08

2. When you think of
networking, mentoring, or
sponsorship, what words
or feelings come to
mind?
Tweet you response using
#WSLF15

3. ACSA Region XIX
Women’s Leadership Network (WLN)

4. The Roles of Mentoring & Networking
Presented by April Moore, Ed.D. @aprilmmoore

6. Benefits of Formal
Networking
• The benefits of formal networking include the following categories:
information learned, building relationships, and career opportunities.
• “I belong to several formal network groups that help me stay up to
date and focused, while lending moral and personal support.”
• “Able to discuss alike challenges, learn about new laws, work
together on issues and learn about different ideas on how to
resolve same issues.”
• “I constantly engage in networks. This is where we share ideas,
experiences, stories, burdens, and get renewed and refreshed to go
do it again.”
• “Developed a network via email for quick advice. The network
provides me with support and a group of more experienced
professional to learn about the role of the superintendency.”

7. • You know, it’s access to people on a regular basis to share
issues, problems, friendships, support, knowing you are
not alone. Knowing people, finding people you can trust
to pick up the phone, safe people. Sometimes it is in your
district but sometimes it is out of your district. Once you
leave a principalship in a big district, then there’s very
few–you are usually in these one-of-a-kind jobs so you
really need [laughter] you really need people beyond
that, need people to help you reflect.
Benefits of Formal
Networking

8. • You know, it’s access to people on a regular basis to share
issues, problems, friendships, support, knowing you are
not alone. Knowing people, finding people you can trust
to pick up the phone, safe people. Sometimes it is in your
district but sometimes it is out of your district. Once you
leave a principalship in a big district, then there’s very
few–you are usually in these one-of-a-kind jobs so you
really need [laughter] you really need people beyond
that, need people to help you reflect.
Benefits of Formal
Networking

9. Benefits of Informal
Networking
• The benefits of informal networking include moral
support and the humanizing element of social media.
• “We are able to bounce problems and solution/ideas off of one
another; we ‘blow off steam;’ we keep things confidential, and
we celebrate the successes of each member of our group. I
know I can count on my colleagues in any situation.”
• “It helped me gain confidence in my judgment and skills. I was
also able to provide the same support to colleagues as my skill
set expanded.”

10. Continuum of Support

11. Which of the strategies have you tried? Which
resonate with you? What might you try next?
NetworkingStrategies
• Attend organizational
events & mixers
• Invite a colleague
• Initiate regional networks
• Leadership team becomes a
network
• Invitation to a meal/social
event
• Connect through your
Professional Learning
Network (PLN)
MentoringStrategies
• ACSA mentoring
• University programs
• Organizational
opportunities
• Initiate mentoring programs
• Leadership team members
become mentors
• Initiate this role with
someone under you
• Invitation to a meal/social
event

12. Moving from
Mentorship to Sponsorship
Presented by Dawn Smith, Ed.D. @functionalteam

13. Mentorship and
Sponsorship
• Both mentoring and sponsorship are critically
important to career advancement
• Research conducted at the Center for Talent
Innovation (CTI) shows sponsors, not mentors
provide real career traction
• Pay raises
• High profile assignments
• Promotion

14. 1. The concept of sponsorship is new to me.
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15. 2. Sponsorship is significantly important to
career advancement.
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16. 3. Sponsorship is as important for the
sponsor's career as it is for the one being
sponsored.
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17. What is a Sponsor?
• An influential backer who believes in YOU
• Someone who will get you to the top
• Goes out on a limb for you
• Opens the door to your next job
• Introduces you to the right people
• Makes a case for you in those top-level conversations that
could make or break your career

18. Differences Between
Mentoring and Sponsoring
Mentor
• Talks with you
• Advises
• Helps to prepare you to move
up
• Identifies strengths and areas
of growth you may not see in
yourself
• Helps you navigate the
corporate ladder (the unwritten
rules)
• Provides a sounding board,
shoulder to cry on, support,
and guidance
• Little is expected in return
Sponsor
• Talks about you
• Acts
• Makes sure you have all the
right roles
• Connects you to important
players and assignments
• Offers guidance and critical
feedback because they believe
in you
• Expects stellar performance
• Expects your loyal support
(trust is at the heart)
• Benefits from your success (no
one gets to the top alone)
• More risky than mentoring
(spend political capital)

19. Sponsorship
• The idea of sponsorship has recently gained momentum as
companies aim to move more women into corporate leadership
positions
• Deloitte, PepsiCo, Intel, GE, Raytheon, AT&T, Citigroup, Morgan
and Stanley, and American Express have launched new sponsorship
programs aimed at helping women executives find sponsors
• The latest research shows that the vast majority of both men and
women feel more satisfied with their rate of advancement when they
have sponsors
• A culture of sponsorship is good for everybody
• Between 2008 and 2010, managers who sponsored protégés earned an
average of $25,075 more than their peers who did not
• The ability to spot talent and help nurture is an asset to senior managers

20. Importance of
Sponsorship
• High-potential women are over-mentored and under-
sponsored relative to their male peers
• According to a Harvard Business Review (2010) study of
4,000 MBAs of both sexes, men are still more likely than
women to have powerful sponsors (as reported by
Catalyst, a nonprofit research group)
• Without sponsorship, women are less likely than men to
be appointed to top roles and maybe more reluctant to get
them

21. How to Find a Sponsor
• You don’t really choose a sponsor. They have to choose you
• Performance counts (You must earn this type of investment)
• Demonstrate you will deliver outstanding performance
• Always make your boss look good
• Be confident
• Have a thick skin and take feedback well. Act on any given advice
• Build on mentoring relationships
• Identify higher-ups who impress you
• Be strategic—clout, not style will turbo charge your career
• Two-levels up
• Nurture relationships with multiple potential sponsors
• Let potential sponsors see you in action
• You need to become a known entity
• Volunteer for big/visible assignments, attend conferences, and become active in
your industry
• Show you are hungry for an opportunity
• Suggest improvement in the way things get done

22. The Challenge
“Everyone who has realized an amazing vision or exerts
remarkable influence can and will point to a series of sponsors,
powerful individuals who helped pull them up and fund their
ventures or clear a path forward. There are no exceptions.”
--Sylvia Ann Hewlett

23. References
• Alsever, J. (2012, May). Want to move up? Get a sponsor. Fortune, 165(7),
53-54.
• Fisher, A. (2012). Got a mentor? Good. Now find a sponsor. CNN Money.
Retrieved from http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/09/21/women-
mentorship-sponsorship/
• Hewlett, S. A. (2014). Forget a mentor, find a sponsor: The new way to fast
track your career. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review.
• Hewlett, S.A. (2013). Mentors are good. Sponsors are better. New York Times.
Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/jobs/sponsors-seen-as-
crucial-for-womens-career-advancement.html?_r=0
• Schawbel, D. (2013). Sylvia Anne Hewlett: Find a sponsor instead of a mentor.
Forbes. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2013/09/10/sylvia-ann-hewlett-find-
a-sponsor-instead-of-a-mentor/

24. Which of the strategies have you tried? Which
resonate with you? What might you try next?
Sponsoring
Strategies
• Start w/mentorship & relationship
• Build trust to leverage the relationship
• Find someone of influence to be your
sponsor
• Initiate this role with someone under
you

25. Dance Card
Preferred Coach or Mentor
What qualities did the coach or mentor possess?
Effective Networking Experience
What elements worked well?
Action Plan
Choose one of the professional relationships discussed in the presentation. What is your role?
What strategies will you use?
When will you start?
In 30 days, with whom will you follow up?
NetworkingStrategies
•Attend
organizational
events & mixers
•Invite a
colleague
•Initiate regional
networks
•Leadership
team becomes a
network
•Invitation to a
meal/social
event
•Connect
through your
Professional
Learning
Network (PLN)
MentoringStrategies
•ACSA mentoring
•University
programs
•Organizational
opportunities
•Initiate
mentoring
programs
•Leadership
team members
become
mentors
•Initiate this role
with someone
under you
•Invitation to a
meal/social
event
SponsoringStrategies
•Start
w/mentorship &
relationship
•Build trust to
leverage the
relationship
•Find someone
of influence to
be your sponsor
•Initiate this role
with someone
under you

26. Action Plan
Preferred Coach or Mentor
What qualities did the coach or mentor possess?
Effective Networking Experience
What elements worked well?
Action Plan
Choose one of the professional relationships discussed in the presentation. What is your role?
What strategies will you use?
When will you start?
In 30 days, with whom will you follow up?

27. Continue the Networking:
Join the conversation on
facebook and LinkedIn
Like us on facebook at
www.facebook.com/ACSARegionXIXWLN
Join our group on LinkedIn: ACSA Region XIX
Women's Leadership Network