Why sponsorship is important for black women in tech

Black women make up 0.7% of the tech workforce*.

Wait, what!

Yes, 0.7%.

For every thousand roles, only SEVEN are occupied by a black female. This is shocking.

How will companies create diverse organisations and leadership teams if this number stays the same?

Sponsorship.?

Black women need more sponsors at work.

People who will champion them, advocate for them and open doors.?

Help support them to progress and get promoted.

Teach them how to articulate their value and operate successfully in unfamiliar spaces.

It starts from the top. A commitment to action and creating an environment where black women can grow and thrive.

Yesterday I attended my first Linkedin Audio event, where Selina Yankson talked about the difference between Mentors and Sponsors and why you need both for career growth.

As black women, we cannot do this alone.?

Despite having the right credentials and qualifications, many black women are still overlooked for senior roles. This needs to change, and sponsorship can help this.

But first, let me share my takeaways from the event:

(1) Know the difference between mentoring and sponsorship.?

There are clear differences between a mentor and a sponsor.?

I like how Selina put it:

A mentor talks to you.?

A sponsor talks about you.

A mentor can be anyone in your life, young or old, whom you can learn from. They can be people who know you (in your world) or people who don't know you (podcasts, books etc.). The bottom line is that you can learn and use their experience to help you on your journey.?

On the other hand, a sponsor is someone willing to spend their political capital and speak about you in rooms you are not in. More senior than your manager, your success does not threaten them, and they take an intentional approach to your growth. They see your potential and seek to help support you on your career journey.?

Things that attract a sponsor:

• doing great work, first and foremost
• taking the initiative in your work?
• not being afraid to challenge the status quo

Having a solid personal brand (professional reputation) is vital. No one will publicly support a lazy person or troublemaker, so your priority is being known for producing excellent work.

A mentor can still speak up for you, but a sponsor will often have more influence, given their seniority.

And know that you can meet a sponsor anywhere, so you must be prepared (see point 3).

(2) Why have them in the first place?

Mentors and sponsors help you accelerate your career. They can help you get from A to B faster without having to make the same mistakes they did.?

They teach you the unwritten rules about work and help bring more self-awareness to what you are doing and how you are perceived.

However, these relationships are only helpful if you know how to leverage them properly, listen to the advice and take action.

The important conversations about you happen when you are not in the room, which is why having a sponsor is crucial.

In my experience of having one, they advocate for you, put you forward for things, share the bigger picture, and guide you on improving and being better. Your sponsor gives you credibility in rooms where you are unknown.

(3) Have a plan

Where do you want to go in your career??

Please be clear on this so you can explain it to your sponsor. For example, what would you say if I asked you this question?

Does it make you uncomfortable??

How can someone help you get somewhere if they don't know where you want to go? How can you get there if you don't know where you are going?

The first time I did this, I could then create a proper plan to get there and, through my mentors and sponsor, progress into that position.

Bonus: Already making progress, leverage where you are

Throughout my career, I have been a sponsor for others. As a senior black woman, it is an incredible privilege to use my influence to help elevate the careers of other black women behind me. To speak up in rooms, make recommendations and fight on their behalf when no one else does. Sometimes the pressure to be this person can feel a lot, but I know it is worthwhile and beneficial.

If you find yourself as a sponsor for someone else, honour it.?

Open those doors for women coming behind you.?Be willing to use your political capital to support others.

They are not your competition.

There is enough room for all of us.

Finally, if people in your circle "claim" to be helping you, but in reality, you can see that they are not (insecurity, negativity, back-stabbing, toxic behaviour), please, please, please remove them from your circle.?

Trust your gut on this one. It is not worth it.

Surround yourself with the right people.

Thanks, Selina, for the opportunity to come on stage and add to the conversation by sharing my experiences!?I am grateful for the sponsorship I have received in my career.

Do you have a work sponsor? How have they impacted your career?

How can we encourage more sponsorship in the workplace?

#LinkedInAudioEvent??#LICreatorAccelerator #Mentoring #Sponsorship #Leadership

*BCS Statistics 2020