mentor

and now, a few words about sex (and 14 tips)

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businesswoman and businessmanyour protégée may have concerns. you should anticipate them.

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: your protégée needs your feedback |  9 ways to promote your protégée to others | 8 ways to help your protégée focus on career opportunities | how to start an effective sponsorship … and follow through | 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | fear of sex and rumors inhibits sponsorship | why women resist networking and powerful role models | different standards, double binds challenge women | 3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

some men use these concerns as rationalizations to avoid sponsoring women for other reasons. don’t be one of them.

read more →

make flexible scheduling work for everyone

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businesswoman holding a clockyour protégée needs you to have her back.

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.

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.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: your protégée needs your feedback |  9 ways to promote your protégée to others | 8 ways to help your protégée focus on career opportunities | how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship | women must see politics as leadership to get ahead | mommy bias persists | different standards, double binds challenge women | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms | men advance 2 to 1 over women without sponsors | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

a sponsor can ensure that she has access to those opportunities and support when she accepts them. he can make the difference between this woman staying on track and ascending to top leadership posts or leaving the company for another job.

read more →

9 ways to promote your protégée to others

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businesswoman being applauded by peersgood news: you don’t have to do it alone.

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 to help your protégée focus on career opportunities | how to start an effective sponsorship … and follow through | 3 ways to initiate informal sponsorship | how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship | 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | different standards, double binds challenge women | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms | 3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées | men advance 2 to 1 over women without sponsors | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

here are nine concrete steps: read more →

8 ways to help your protégée focus on career opportunities

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man showing woman something on laptop computerbeware of gender traps.

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: how to start an effective sponsorship … and follow through | 3 ways to initiate informal sponsorship | how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship | women must see politics as leadership to get ahead | different standards, double binds challenge women | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms | 3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées | men advance 2 to 1 over women without sponsors | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

here are some concrete steps to take: read more →

how to start an effective sponsorship … and follow through

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woman in white office meeting with man17 specific action steps you should take.

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: 3 ways to initiate informal sponsorship | how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship | 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | fear of sex and rumors inhibits sponsorship | why women resist networking and powerful role models | women must see politics as leadership to get ahead | mommy bias persists | different standards, double binds challenge women | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms

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. read more →

3 ways to initiate informal sponsorship

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woman and man meeting in an officeand three ways to start the conversation.

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.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship | 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | fear of sex and rumors inhibits sponsorship | men advance 2 to 1 over women without sponsors | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | the 6 market advantages of women-led firms | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

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.

read more →

how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship

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business man and woman reading news in magazinefour keys for 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: 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | why women resist networking and powerful role models | women must see politics as leadership to get ahead | mommy bias persists | different standards, double binds challenge women | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms | 3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | the 6 market advantages of women-led firms | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

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.

read more →

3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées

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woman and man working with calculatorwhen leadership models are male, sometimes female candidates go unrecognized.

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

let’s assume a powerful man works with two junior colleagues, a man and a woman, who are both equally talented, motivated and superbly skilled performers. according to what we know from research and experience, that powerful man is more likely to sponsor the man than the woman.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: men advance 2 to 1 over women without sponsors | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | the 6 market advantages of women-led firms | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters read more →

18 ways sponsors can help their protegees

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and how to tell the difference between a mentor and a sponsor.

ida o. abbott, sponsoring women
abbott

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.

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. read more →