leadership

bonus checklist: 14 ways to prevent trouble.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

if you are concerned about the possibility of sex-related problems, consider the degree of risk involved and whether you are willing to assume it.

before you decide, consider

• first that you might be exaggerating the risk, and
• second that this is a risk that can be prevented and managed.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: use others to promote your protégée | 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 17 ways sponsors can help protégées | what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | keep close relationships from getting too close | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | women need promotions, not just advice | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

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your protégée needs feedback. sometimes you’ll need help providing it.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

feedback is important at any level of professional development.

but for a woman trying to become a leader, honest, clear and practical feedback is essential. she needs to know both how well she is performing and how to project the image she wants others to have of her.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: use others to promote your protégée | 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 3 ways to open a sponsorship conversation | what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

read more →

9 ways to help her be more visible and get better assignments.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

promoting your protégée to others is an important part of sponsorship.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities | 17 ways sponsors can help protégées what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | keep close relationships from getting too close | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

here are nine concrete steps: read more →

help your protégée showcase her strengths, but leave the final career decisions up to her.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

once you have identified a woman to sponsor and determined that you click, you may be wondering how to get started.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: 17 ways sponsors can help protégées | 3 ways to open a sponsorship conversation | what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

here are some concrete steps to take:
read more →

an effective sponsorship requires that you follow through.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

when you sponsor a woman, there are many steps that you can take to ensure that the relationship is productive and achieves its objectives.

here are some tips for getting off to a strong start and following through effectively, especially by focusing on career opportunities and promoting your protégée to others.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: 3 ways to open a sponsorship conversation | what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | keep close relationships from getting too close | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

early in the process

• ask her how you can help. the protégée might have some specific ideas in mind. ask her how you can best help her to be successful and what she hopes to gain from your support.

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and how to decide whether to spend the political capital.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

most sponsorship occurs informally, without any structured or programmatic context. informal sponsor-protégée relationships usually start in one of three ways.

the most common way is when a senior manager or partner

• identifies someone as a star performer,
• believes that she has what it takes to succeed and
• wants to make that success happen.

the sponsor recognizes her talent and potential while they work together or when he observes her at work and is impressed by her ability. as the two work together their relationship grows.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: what sponsors need from protégées | 3 ways to derail sponsorships | keep close relationships from getting too close | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

read more →

it goes both ways, you know.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

most leaders engage in sponsorship and have been sponsored themselves, so the nature of a sponsor-protégée relationship should be familiar.

generally speaking, you sponsor women just as you do men. you may have to make a little more effort up front. and you might need to adapt to the impact of motherhood and other sex-related differences. but the strategies and tactics that sponsors use to help women move ahead are not much different than those for men.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: 3 ways to derail sponsorships | keep close relationships from getting too close | 4 reasons women hold themselves back | 4 ways sponsors can help women seek power | bias about women with families lingers | judged on performance, not potential? must be a woman | gender bias still a problem | why women are overlooked (and how to fix it) | 3 ways men are favored in the workplace | women need promotions, not just advice | mentor or sponsor? how to distinguish roles | 4 ways women leaders improve firms | cpa firms must ‘man up’ and get women on board

read more →