Lisa Caywood from The Borg Queen writes:
A sponsor is a slightly different thing. Rather than providing 1:1 counsel and guidance, the sponsor acts as your marketing committee and personal agent. The sponsor is putting the power of his or her own reputation and network to work on your behalf, so in return you’re obligated to make your sponsor look good as well as yourself. Competence is critical here, as well as social graces and general good behavior. In the world of management journals, the sponsor is a powerful, well-connected senior executive, but in reality, it can be anyone who has built a strong platform and is willing to extend it, with appropriate selectiveness, to help showcase the talents of others. The original TED organizers would be one set of examples. In the tech realm, Stephen Foskett (@sfoskett) has actually built a business doing just this, with his Tech Field Days.
Lisa makes some good points here about role models and their place in the workspace. It doesn’t hurt that she holds Tech Field Day up as an example of positive role models for the tech industry. If we’re going to be heroes, I’m calling dibs on Green Lantern.
Read more: Mentors, Sponsors, Role Models and Heroes
