women in accounting

plus 18 ways to boost your protégée.

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

the practice of mentorship is well known and well established in today’s workplace. a mentor is someone who helps a more junior person learn, develop and achieve her professional goals.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: 4 firm benefits of sponsoring women as leaders | being the best means including women

mentoring is the process by which the mentor and mentee work together to identify and help the mentee move toward those goals. but sponsorship is intended specifically to promote career advancement.
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women leaders provide 6 advantages to the market and 9 benefits for their sponsors.

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

most male leaders today under­stand how important it is to keep high-performing women in the pipeline and help them achieve their potential within the organization.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: being the best means including women | not mentoring, sponsoring | how to help your protégée project the right image | how to promote your protégée to coworkers

these men are genuinely concerned about their firms’ inability to retain and advance the women they hire because having a substantial number of women leaders is a demonstrably significant benefit to the company, while a lack of gender diversity at the top of organizations can be very costly to the bottom line.
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cpa firms need more women, and not just recruiting them for staff, but sponsoring them for leadership.

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

smart accounting firm leaders want to be at the forefront of efforts to advance women.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: not mentoring, sponsoring | 14 ways to keep sex from wrecking something great | how to promote your protégée to coworkers | can you afford to be a sponsor? | fears of innuendo, gossip impede development | bias persists against women with children | why men don’t see women as leaders

as the global economy continues to become more competitive, firms need to use all the talent they can muster – and more and more of that talent will be women.
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6 questions to evaluate candidates.

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

sponsorship is a personal undertaking. a man who sponsors a woman takes it upon himself to advance her career. he puts his reputation on the line for her and tells the world she is worth it.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: how to fight flextime saboteurs | how to help your protégée project the right image | how to promote your protégée to coworkers | 8 steps to guiding your protégée | 17 ways to follow through on sponsorship | how protégées can help sponsors

she still has to earn that promotion, but his solid, public vote of confidence – and the power he puts behind it – at least gives her a fair chance to get it.
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flexible scheduling can benefit everyone, but some people don’t see it that way.

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

a talented, ambitious woman who works less than full time or takes extended family leave is extremely vulnerable to being derailed professionally.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: 14 ways to keep sex from wrecking something great | how to help your protégée project the right image | 17 ways to follow through on sponsorship | beware misunderstandings about work relationships | fears of innuendo, gossip impede development | women must see politics as leadership | why some women resist using networks | bias persists against women with children | standards for women still differ | 5 ways women get shoved aside | why men don’t see women as leaders | thanks for the advice, but i’d really prefer a promotion | 18 ways to boost your protégée | women leaders provide 6 market advantages | why cpa firms need more women | beyond mentoring to sponsorship

whether because she is “out of sight/out of mind,” or because people doubt her commitment, she may be disregarded for promotions or high-profile projects.
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apply a presumption of innocence.

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.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: how to help your protégée project the right image | how to promote your protégée to coworkers | 8 steps to guiding your protégée | 17 ways to follow through on sponsorship | how protégées can help sponsors | fears of innuendo, gossip impede development | women must see politics as leadership | why some women resist using networks | bias persists against women with children | why men don’t see women as leaders | thanks for the advice, but i’d really prefer a promotion | 18 ways to boost your protégée

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.

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‘soft skills’ advice is needed, especially with ‘double bind’ issues.

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

feedback is important at any level of professional development.

more on sponsoring women for leadership for pro members: how to promote your protégée to coworkers | can you afford to be a sponsor? | fears of innuendo, gossip impede development | bias persists against women with children | why men don’t see women as leaders | 18 ways to boost your protégée

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.
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9 ways to help her 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: how protégées can help sponsors | why some women resist using networks | 5 ways women get shoved aside | why men don’t see women as leaders | why cpa firms need more women

here are nine concrete steps:

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how you can steer her to opportunities.

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: can you afford to be a sponsor? | fears of innuendo, gossip impede development | women must see politics as leadership | why some women resist using networks | 5 ways women get shoved aside | women leaders provide 6 market advantages | why cpa firms need more women

here are some concrete steps to take:
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an effective sponsorship requires work from both parties.

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.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: can you afford to be a sponsor? | how protégées can help sponsors | beware misunderstandings about work relationships | fears of innuendo, gossip impede development | women must see politics as leadership | why some women resist using networks | bias persists against women with children | standards for women still differ | thanks for the advice, but i’d really prefer a promotion

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.
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the cost is in 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.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: how protégées can help sponsors | beware misunderstandings about work relationships | women must see politics as leadership | bias persists against women with children | 5 ways women get shoved aside | why men don’t see women as leaders | thanks for the advice, but i’d really prefer a promotion | 18 ways to boost your protégée | why cpa firms need more women | protect your protégée from flextime saboteurs | use others to promote your protégée | 8 ways sponsors can highlight opportunities

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.
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4 requirements when starting from scratch.

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.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: beware misunderstandings about work relationships | women must see politics as leadership | bias persists against women with children | 5 ways women get shoved aside | thanks for the advice, but i’d really prefer a promotion | women leaders provide 6 market advantages | why cpa firms need more women

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.
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3 ways to derail sponsorships.

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

we know that even when a relationship between a woman and a man is strictly business-focused, others may not see it that way. here are three thorny issues to watch for and quell.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: fears of innuendo, gossip impede development | women must see politics as leadership | why some women resist using networks | bias persists against women with children | standards for women still differ

1. gossip and rumors

relationships in the workplace are frequently the subject of rumors, and close relationships between senior men and junior women are tasty fodder for the gossip mill. because sponsorship between a man and woman is not as common as sponsorship between two men, it is more noticeable and subjects the man and woman to greater scrutiny.
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