I think that sponsorship doesn't, isn't necessarily, you know, a constant proposition. You have to kind of suss it out. And so what is going to work for you and for the person who you're helping or who is helping you? Right. I'm sure it would succeed 99% of the time, but don't even think about it. No. Well, that's an excellent tactic. But again, there's this area between best practices on the one hand and the way life works, right, on the other.
Having a sponsor — someone who can use their influence to push your career forward — is invaluable. But how exactly they do this, and what your role is in making it happen, isn’t always clear-cut. Who should we be seeking to sponsor us? Should sponsors be candid with their proteges about what they’re doing on their behalf?
We pose these questions and others to Rosalind Chow, a researcher who studies sponsorship. She clarifies some of the ambiguity and talks about what should be transparent and what should stay unspoken. Then we hear how one of these relationships works between two lawyers, as well as between Nicole and Amy B.
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