The Importance of Finding Professional Advocates
I recently had the incredible honor of photographing fellow Chief, Nora Guzman.
I asked her to share one takeaway from her career:
“Early on, I feel like everyone kept saying ‘find a mentor.’ My big aha moment was understanding the difference between a mentor and a sponsor. Mentors are valuable and can share a lot of knowledge. But they may not always help with getting a promotion. Sponsors have line of sight into your direct work – maybe as a stakeholder – and can advocate for you and use their political capital to help with your advancement. It's even better if they're are not your direct manager.”
This realization gave Nora more perspective into why she wasn’t advancing earlier in her career.
“I would hear managers coming out of performance review meetings, validating and vouching for other people. I learned how other managers were integral to who made it through the cycle with a promotion and who didn’t. This totally shifted my perspective when looking for growth opportunities. I asked myself new questions. 'How do I get connected to other leaders and stakeholders to get perspective and feedback? Do other leaders and stakeholders know my work and what I stand for, even when I’m not in the room?'”
This experience not only inspired Nora to find her own sponsor, but to become one as well. “For women and minorities, there is not enough conversation about why finding sponsors and advocates may be even more important than mentors. I want to change that."
Nora, thank you for sharing your experience and being a sponsor for other women in the workplace.