Yesterday I was invited to share Social Business for the NAFE group, the group of Female exeuctives dedicated to assisting women in their search for professional growth.
While waiting to present, they shared some facts that I found appalling. They come from a Catalyst study:
- Women seem to be paid for proven performance—women who changed jobs two or more times post-MBA earned $53,472 less than women who rose through the ranks at their first job.
- In contrast, men seem to be paid for potential—men who had moved on from their first post-MBA job earned $13,743 more than those who stayed with their first employer.
- Across all career profiles, men were more likely to reach senior executive/CEO positions than women; in the most proactive category, 21% of men advanced to leadership compared with 11% of women.
The working session then focused on these women helping to set up “Sponsorship” focus vs mentoring. The full study showed that woman do have mentors, but not sponsors. People willing to stand up for them, and push them and let them learn in new roles. Men tend to get these “potential” promotions based on their sponsors.
The same strategies don’t work equally well for men and women. Women must adopt strategies different from their male colleagues’ to advance their careers. When women were proactive in making their achievements known, they advanced further, increased their compensation growth, and were more satisfied with their careers. They also advanced further when they proactively networked with influential others. Making their achievements known did not impact men’s careers. Rather, gaining access to influential others also helped men advance, and indicating a willingness to work long hours and conducting external scans for other opportunities helped men increase their salaries.
Hope this helps. As a mom and a professional, it helps me doubly. I’d love your thoughts.
Do you have information on similar studies/research conducted on women vs. men without MBAs? This is fascinating: I’m really surprised at the difference in results, and cannot figure out the reason/s why they are so different. Why do you think men are apparently rewarded for switching companies whereas women do better by staying at the same employer?
Like you, I am a mom. Our daughter wants to go into business law — she’s 11, so this could change several times! — and this type of info is extremely important to her future career–and my current professional path!
I’ll look for you!!! Thanks for the feedback. Sandy
I had read this same study from Catalyst and agree – the stats are appalling. It is true that as women we are coached to seek mentors, which many of us do in order to get advice on different areas we wish to improve but not the focus on sponsors…. We need to be able to reach out and seek sponsors who see us as integral to helping them meet their career goals and cultivate those relationships as well.
@Anne, how would define mentor vs. sponsor? I’ve been fortunate to have had several terrific mentors, male and female, in my career. Would a sponsor be someone who recommended you for specific responsibilities, positions, etc., vs. a mentor, who would nurture, help train, etc., for the career itself? Thanks for your thoughts!
A Mentor coaches you and offers guidance. A Sponsor does more. They place you in roles on potential vs just performance to teach you. They protect you (this is where protege comes from — the protected). They fight for you.
They go beyound advocating on your behalf.
Does this help?
Sandy
Sandy – I like your definition — totally agree.
I went to lunch with a friend who is a male, VP of a technology company and whose kids attend the same school that mine attend. I wanted to get his input regarding career progression – how do you make it to the next levels (other than performance which I demonstrate but that just doesn’t seem to be the “ticket” to promotion).
He said something very telling which I had not really thought about before. He said, “You need a sponsor… someone in the company who is higher up than you who will pull you up.” He said that without someone who was willing to stand up for you, tell others that you would be great for a particular new role, your name won’t come up around the table.
He’s right – and it’s all well and good to be “liked” and “respected” in what you do – but without a sponsor, when that next job comes available that is not your “normal career progression”, your name won’t come up as someone to move into that non sequitur role.
Sponsor (my definition) – is in your own company – someone who believes in your potential and is willing to give you an opportunity that might be out of your “comfort zone” to see you stretch and draw you into that new role, being willing to defend their rationale and convince others to give that opportunity to you.
Most help articles on the web are inaccurate or inhoecrent. Not this!