Adolfson & Peterson Construction (AP) recently hosted a special company-wide Women in Construction event discussing multiple workplace topics including an industry-wide increased focus on the rise of sponsorship and how it complements mentorship. Men and women across the entire company nationally came together to listen and learn.
What’s the difference? Well, good question. We’ve all heard about the importance of having a mentor for years, but many today believe sponsorship goes one step further in helping others advance in their careers.
Mentorship is all about offering advice and helping prepare for opportunities. Sponsorship is about offering exposure and chances.
Studies have shown sponsorship happens half as often as mentorship, according to Ambition Theory, the leadership training/professional coaching firm leading the Women in Construction event. Ambition Theory’s goal is to aid construction companies in addressing the talent shortage by developing leaders from existing talent inside organizations.
Mentorship has been touted as a key part of career-field advancement and finding a mentor or being a mentor has been the mantra. Mentorship is a valuable tool, helping people feel supported to learn new things, connect and feel more engaged at work. Mentorship is an important and vital component of a successful culture, but mentorship alone isn’t the answer. An additional step complements those efforts and launches people, particularly women, into leadership positions and that step is sponsorship.
Sponsorship creates a perfect storm, combining the best of both worlds: advice and guidance along with exposure and opportunity. That’s how mentorship and sponsorship not only coexist but also enhance talent creation from within an organization.
Sponsorship provides team members support as they stretch outside of their comfort zones to expand their abilities, which plays a vital role in workplace growth. It involves giving team members opportunities to meet key contacts and demonstrate their strengths and abilities in new situations. It allows them to be seen and rewarded by opening new doors while advocating for their next move. All of this is done by supporting them as they learn and try new skills. This effort encourages them but more importantly, it gives them the experiences they need to advance.
Team members with sponsors have somebody at work who:
In the AP Women in Construction event, participants were asked for their ideas on how to blend sponsorship into existing mentorship efforts. One suggestion was to bring team members to the table and give them opportunities in meetings for face time with clients and contemporaries. Ambition Theory’s research reveals women are seeking more than advice and support. Women want to partner with others who are inclusive and eager to be a connector.
I have personally experienced this in small doses throughout my career, but I’ve felt it more as I have continued to elevate my position within AP. Collaborating more with leaders who value our partnership, recognize my strengths and appreciate my voice has helped promote my presence across the company, particularly as a woman in a male-dominated industry. I have worked hard to reach this point and am grateful for the leaders who saw my efforts and achievements and sponsored me in ways that enabled me to showcase my strengths and gain recognition within the company.
Mentorship is all about offering advice and helping prepare for opportunities. Sponsorship is about offering exposure and chances. Start identifying those with leadership potential and instead of taking them for coffee to chat about their careers, ask them to identify situations that offer exposure and expand their skill sets.
A great example of how this might work would be for a senior leader to ask a team member to attend an upcoming meeting and give this person the chance to present a few slides of a proposal. They are trusted to learn as they go and receive valuable exposure in the process. This learning and exposure can pave the way for career advancement and increased visibility within a company, and it can accelerate professional growth and development. On the flip side, junior team members can ask for a place at the table or for a chance to participate in a face-to-face client meeting. In a sponsorship dynamic, it’s up to both senior and junior team members to act and create opportunities together.
The prospects exist to enhance mentorship by adding new practices in the day-to-day roles that create a domino effect in exposing people to new opportunities for growth.
As Director of Marketing, Megan DeLeon works across all AP departments to conceptualize and implement marketing and communications strategies to ensure alignment with the company’s strategic goals and mission. She partners with the regional leadership team and business development to set and lead regional marketing priorities and enforces effective communication processes in order to strengthen the AP brand. Megan believes that AP’s strong culture, people and the company’s ability to collaborate across all departments is the foundation of the organization.
Megan has spent over 18 years in marketing and event management and manages a number of programs for AP including strategic planning, communications, pursuit management, branding and events. She has received numerous awards from CREW Dallas (Commercial Real Estate for Women) and previously served on their Board of Directors. Megan holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University in College Station.
