The Secret To Getting Ahead At Work: Ask For Help

Shifting priorities and maturity have allowed us to expand our views on mentoring. It is no longer for the chosen few - those in the C-suite or destined for the corner office. What has remained at its core is what Dr. Kathy Kram refers to as a mentor’s two functions— career advancement and psychosocial support. But who provides that support and how it is delivered has changed.

The traditional hierarchical model of mentoring, too often driven by a boss or someone in a senior role, is grossly outdated and severely limiting. Now, people can tap into entire networks of diverse groups from the various facets of their lives - school, work, houses of worship, etc.

What we do know is that to succeed, you need to have a mentor, coach, and sponsor (see my previous Forbes article for a further explanation.

In her latest book, Mentor, Coach, Lead, Laurie Baedke explains that the differentiation in the roles is based on their outcomes perspective:

Mentorship is development oriented;

Sponsorship is advancement oriented;

Coaching is performance oriented.

In a mentoring relationship, it is often the mentor who answers questions, while in a coaching relationship, it is the coach who asks the questions which inspire a-ha “light bulb” moments in the coachee. The mentor helps you build skills, while the coach enables you to improve your skills.

If you believe that if you work hard and do a good job, people will notice, then you’ll be waiting a long time. People are busy, often dealing with the crisis of the moment. It’s not that they don’t want to notice your work; they are simply preoccupied.

A mentor can help ensure you are doing your best work, and a sponsor can help provide you with stretch assignments where you can showcase your abilities while simultaneously learning a new skill. But none of this matters if you don’t have the right people in your network advocating on your behalf.

A 2012 Catalyst report stated that most development occurs on the job, not in a formal classroom, and highlighted a 70/20/10 model:

70% of development happens on the job;

20% of development happens through networking, including with mentors, coaches and sponsors;

10% of development occurs through formal training programs.

Some might argue that they don’t need mentoring because they are “already where they want to be.” Why limit yourself to where you are, when you don’t fully understand or know what is possible? In short, you don’t know what you don’t know.

In her well-researched book, Baedke offers some ideas on how to showcase your skills so that you can find sponsors:

1. Take on stretch assignments;
2. Volunteer for tasks that give you exposure;
3. Organize and invite guest speakers;
4. Organize panels with multiple speakers;
5. Write special reports.
6. Help onboard new employees.

“It’s not cheating or a shortcut to seek out some help,” shares Baedke. “Enlisting an ally to gain a promotion or position does not mean it was less earned.”