By Leif Ulstrup (Guest Contributor)

A decade or so ago, FedEx ran a famous commercial called “Stolen Idea” that struck a chord with many viewers. In it, a boss poses a question in a meeting and an employee responds quickly with a great solution. No one acknowledges the idea. The boss repeats what the employee said, but with a specific hand gesture. Everyone then praises the boss, leaving the employee confused.

In an ideal world, supervisors and colleagues would recognize and reward employees for the quality of their ideas and work ethic. Unfortunately, we don’t live in that world. Organizations’ histories, cultures, incentive systems, loyalty networks, and people at the center of power and influence drive how employees are acknowledged. Successfully navigating an organization requires developing insights into its power dynamics (or “office politics”) and understanding how to apply one’s distinct strengths to maximize contributions.

This is where sponsors and mentors come in. They are the key to achieving the recognition and rewards commensurate with one’s professional contributions. In the case of the FedEx commercial, the employee could have benefited from having a mentor to help him process this situation or a sponsor to speak up for him. Either one would have empowered him to gain respect and recognition from his boss and colleagues for his valuable ideas.

Mentor

A Mentor:

• Helps you aspire to master a subject area.

• Acts as source of wisdom, role model, and sounding board.

• Helps you see a frustrating situation in a new light.

• Helps uncover your strengths and connects you with others who can use those strengths.

How to find a mentor:

• Introduce yourself to an experienced professional you admire.

• Talk to them about career questions you have. Did it meet your expectations?

• Be patient. Great mentorship relationships develop over time.

• Sometimes it’s not a good fit or may not make sense to sustain.

How to sustain your relationship:

• Work to keep your connection alive with periodic check-ins.

• Be a giver. What can you share or teach your mentor that would help them?

• Your mentor may reach out periodically, but you should expect to take the lead.

Sponsor

A Sponsor:

• Has the credibility and power to help you move forward and spends political capital to take a chance on you—sponsors tend to be higher on the career ladder and influence others’ opinions.

• Is future-oriented, recognizing how your strengths can address an organization’s emerging needs.

• Is critical to helping you accumulate the skills and resources needed to amplify your contribution to your organization.

How to find a sponsor:

• Seek out and introduce yourself to a powerful and influential professional whose vision and management style you admire.

• Ask them what they are looking for when assessing top talent.

• Address a current problem the potential sponsor has to demonstrate your value.

How to sustain your relationship:

• Live up to the potential and promise your sponsor imagined.

• Be proactive and set recurring check-ins and reach out when you have a question or situation for which you seek their counsel.

Who hasn’t been shocked at least once by a colleague or manager proposing an idea or taking credit for work that’s not their own? That’s what makes the FedEx commercial’s cartoonish scenario so compelling. If the commercial’s clever but dejected employee had a mentor or sponsor at the time of the meeting, he would have had someone in his corner. A mentor could have helped him process what he heard and encouraged him to learn from it. Subsequently, a sponsor could have spoken up to get him the boss and team members’ full attention.

Mentors and sponsors provide professionals with the opportunity to reach their full potential. So the next time you have a million-dollar idea, ask your mentor or sponsor for guidance on how to get the idea heard. And if you don’t yet have a mentor or sponsor, what are you waiting for?