© 2014 Betty Spence, PhD.

Member Conference Title

© 2014 Betty Spence, PhD.

Are Your Workplace

Connections Working for

You?

Betty Spence, PhD., President, NAFE

“Strengthen your networks to achieve your career vision.”

•Start the map of your network .

•Identify who can help you achieve your career goals.

•Practice landing allies – and being allies.

© 2014 Betty Spence, PhD.

EXERCISE 1: ELEVATOR PITCH

Short, prepared, practiced speech to

impress/persuade in 30 seconds to 1 minute.

•Succinct

•Clear

•Compelling

© 2014 Betty Spence, PhD.

BUILDING CONNECTIONS “To be connected means to confidently leverage

internal and external networks in order to enlist support

for your vision, based on the recognition that its

benefits will be both worthwhile and reciprocal.”

Sally Helgesen, The Female Vision

EXERCISE 2: WHO’S IN YOUR

NETWORK? List names of people at work who are in your network.

© 2014 Betty Spence, PhD.

DEFINITION OF “ALLIES”

(Sally Helgesen)

People who actively support your vision.

• Listen

• Give feedback

• Explain politics

• Share strategies

• Talk you up

• Advocate & recommend you

© 2014 Betty Spence, PhD.

MENTORS

Mentoring Circles

Brooke Allocco, MD VP, Clinical Communications & Education

Boston Scientific

© 2014 Betty Spence, PhD.

MENTORS AND SPONSORS

•Mentors advise. Sponsors create opportunities.

•Mentors coach privately. Sponsors champion publicly - & spend

social capital.

•Mentors comfort and ballast. Sponsors fight for you, open paths.

•Mentors talk about leadership. Sponsors ensure protégés move

into leadership.

•Mentors may coach many. Sponsors have few protégés.

•People pick their mentors. Sponsors pick protégés.

•Mentoring is given. Sponsorship is earned.

*Sylvia Ann Hewlett, et al, “Sponsor Effect 2.0,” Center for Talent Innovation, 2012.

© 2014 Betty Spence, PhD.

ALLIES

Relationships you leverage -- using

them to achieve your goals.

-Quid pro quo

-“You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”

© 2014 Betty Spence, PhD.

BUILDING ALLIES

Helgesen: “To be connected means to confidently

LEVERAGE internal and external networks in order to

enlist SUPPORT for your vision, based on the

recognition that its benefits will be both worthwhile and

RECIPROCAL.”

-Building relationships to achieve your goals and help

others achieve theirs.

-“This is what I need… and this is what I offer and what

you have to gain.”

© 2014 Betty Spence, PhD.

EXERCISE 3: LIST YOUR POTENTIAL

ALLIES

- Who has influence

- Who might help achieve your goals

- Who might champion you

- What could you offer them

- How can you reach out to them

© 2014 Betty Spence, PhD.

EXERCISE 4: PRACTICING ALLIANCE-

BUILDING

-Expand elevator pitch to include list of

strengths, selling points, goals, vision.

-Work with partner

-Work in groups of four

© 2014 Betty Spence, PhD.

EXERCISE 5:

SPONSOR YOUR PROTÉGÉ!

CONVINCE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM

THAT YOUR PROTÉGÉ IS THE

PERFECT PERSON FOR THE OPEN

POSITION.

© 2014 Betty Spence, PhD.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

FROM SALLY AND BETTY

•DON’T WAIT TO BECOME AN EXPERT.

•SHARE INFORMATION.

•BE PREPARED.

•TALK ABOUT YOUR WORK.

•BE VISIBLE – SPEAK UP.

© 2014 Betty Spence, PhD.