Building upon the momentum of a recent panel discussion at SAP Sapphire and ASUG Annual Conference, ASUG Women Connect recently convened for an informative Community Conversation focused on the power of allyship, mentorship, and sponsorship.
Patty Brown, Editorial Director at ASUG, opened the session by highlighting the importance of leveraging virtual sessions to stay connected as a community and set a framework for the discussion by defining terms relevant to the conversation. As Brown explained:
- Mentors provide career advice, direction, guidance, and perspective to others, both within and beyond their own organizations.
- Allies form alliances with others, such as through programs like ASUG Women Connect.
- Sponsors, often in positions of authority, use their influence to actively promote and provide opportunities for career advancement.
Brown also shared key findings from the Women in the Workplace 2023 study, which is based on research conducted annually by McKinsey, in partnership with LeanIn.org. While the percentage of women in C-suite positions increased (from 17% to 28%) between 2015 and 2023, Brown identified the “weak middle” as a significant issue; this term refers to higher dropout rates among women at the director or senior manager level, who successfully ascend to high-ranking positions but for whom executive roles remain out of reach, and why mentorship, allyship, and sponsorship are essential in helping women continue to progress in the workplace.
Next, attendees heard from two leaders from the ASUG Women Connect community – Cynthia Emrich, Executive Director CNEXT Foundation, and Kimberly Sharp, Managing Partner and Chief People Officer, EverBlue Partners. Both passionate advocates of advancing the careers of women in business, Emrich and Sharp shared personal experiences and elaborated on the challenge of the “dropout rates” mentioned above. But the biggest takeaways from the virtual discussion involved their proposed solutions to help bridge the gap.
Emrich began by identifying three key development opportunities critical for career advancement:
- Leading high visibility projects: These projects are strategically important and help one become known within the company.
- Holding mission-critical roles: These roles involve significant responsibilities such as P&L management, people management, and budget oversight.
- Gaining international experience: Despite pushback, data showed women were significantly less likely to be offered international assignments, even when willing to relocate.
"Sponsorship holds a trifecta of benefit for companies,” said Emrich, emphasizing the importance of sponsors in providing access to these opportunities. “We found that executives who sponsor one or more individuals go on to be more successful in their careers. Further, we found that organizations that have a higher percentage of executives who are sponsoring their more junior colleagues tend to have more engaged and longer-tenured employees."
Sharp emphasized the importance of building your personal brand, which refers to how you position yourself and talk about your talents, which is crucial for career advancement. "Building your brand story involves defining what you stand for and what you are known for,” added Sharp. “Owning your reputation and learning to talk about yourself in memorable sound bites that others can easily repeat is a valuable skill and one that mentors and sponsors can help with.”
Audience members also had the opportunity to share their own perspectives, and participants revealed through a group poll that 42% had previously worked with a mentor. However, only 4% had worked with sponsors, thus highlighting a significant gap in the understanding and utilization of sponsorships for career growth.
Participants left the conversation with practical takeaways, expanded networks, and valuable resources, including Peggy Klaus's book, "Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn without Blowing It," which provides strategies for confidently promoting oneself, and The Art of Connecting by Lara Ewing and Claire Raines.
In addition to underscoring the critical need for dialogue among women professionals to address career equity and reduce dropout rates, this event reinforced the importance of various support mechanisms in helping women progress in their careers and bridge the gap to executive roles. ASUG looks forward to continuing these important and interactive discussions as an extension of our support for the ASUG Women Connect community.
To learn more about ASUG Women Connect, follow the group on asug.com, and to engage in discussions, access, resources, and expand your network, join our LinkedIn group. And be sure to join us for our next Community Conversation, focusing on how to build your personal brand, taking place Thursday, September 26.