If this article were a workshop, we would start by asking those in the room with a mentor to raise their arms. We have done this many times before, and generally what you see is a just few hands in the air. Then we would ask who in the room has people in their life that they rely on for advice, support and guidance. A sea of arms and hands invariably go up.
When we think about career progression, many of us still call to mind the visible markers of success: skills, performance reviews, job titles. Yet research repeatedly says that the most important career accelerators are not always visible at all: they’re the hidden networks that work on your behalf: the sponsors who speak your name in the right room, the peer groups who hold you accountable and the micro-communities that offer safety, insight, and belonging.
When Condoleezza Rice was still a young academic, Brent Scowcroft, a two-time United States National Security Advisor, spotted her potential and pulled her into the White House. He didn’t officially sponsor Rice (there was no internal programme) but Scowcroft took it upon himself to ensure she was part of conversations where important decisions were made, and gave Rice visibility at the highest levels. Scowcroft’s acts of informal sponsorship turned Rice from a promising professor into a national security leader, helping her ultimately secure the role of U.S. Secretary of State.
You may not be heading towards the highest echelons of government, but your career will still not advance in isolation, it’ll move – or stall – depending on the strength of the networks you can’t always see. Lean In and McKinsey Women in the Workplace 2024, for example, documented the sponsorship gap and how a lack of sponsors contributes to the broken rung for women, slowing promotions. Whilst many Harvard Business Review articles evidence the need for peer groups in accelerating personal development in the workplace.
This article will focus on 3 groups of invisible supporters you need to be harnessing for ongoing sanity and growth.
- Sponsors: these are influential leaders who use their capital to advocate for you. Like Scowcroft did for Condoleezza Rice, sponsors pave the way for progress when you’re not in the room.
- Peer groups: your trusted colleagues or cohorts who share experience, resources, and accountability. Peer groups provide a safe space in which you can test ideas and recover from setbacks.
- Micro-communities: the small, identity-based groups you are part of (parenting communities, ERGs, Slack channels). These create safety, help you develop fresh insights, build confidence and open networking doors.
Of course, in this post-Covid world, the complication inherent in this advice is hybrid working and distributed teams, both of which can dull the nourishment of and access to these types of relationships.
A 2023 analysis report of 2 million employees by Live Data Technologies found that full-time remote workers were 31% less likely to get a promotion compared with their in-office colleagues. One reason for this is impaired access to the game-changing power-players. Without deliberate cultivation, careers, especially for underrepresented groups, including women, stall.
Whether you are remote, hybrid or based in the office full time, learning to prioritise your invisible connectors is an absolute must. But what is the best way to get going?
Here are Five Actions to Build and Harness Your Powerful Hidden Contacts
- Map your network gaps: It might sound trite but getting a piece of paper and literally mapping out your key connections and peer-groups pays dividends. Ask yourself: who advocates for me, who challenges me, who supports me emotionally and where do I have gaps? It is most likely that you can fill these gaps with people you already know. Then it is a case of spending time engaging in these relationships with purpose: know the goal, be direct, stay in touch.
- Turn mentors into sponsors: Mentors, as we said at the top, usually lurk everywhere in our career lives. They are the shoulders we lean on, brains we are inspired by and advice givers we cherish. These mentors, the ones who know you best and are placed strategically in certain departments or at specific layers of seniority, can shift from advice-givers to opportunity-creators. The way you make this transition is together. Be clear on what you want to achieve (your ambition) and the impact you want to create, whether that’s short term or longer into the future. Once you have done this, they can work on your behalf, this is where the magic happens.
- Create or join peer pods: Your company might be awash with ERGs and peer-related groups, if so, brilliant. Get stuck in. The relationships within these groups may evolve into tactical sponsorship opportunities, more likely though, this will be the place for support and understanding. Never underestimate the importance of a sense of belonging at work; when we feel safe and understood, when we are connected to the company and mission more broadly, we are more likely to thrive. Progress, remember, is a multifaceted beast, never play down the simple act of connection for connection’s sake.
- Leverage online micro-communities: Whatever your WFH status, it is imperative you engage digitally in your company Slack chats, online ERG sessions, and/or any relevant industry WhatsApps groups. Why? Because these are often the fastest route to new ideas, support and success. If you are wondering whether these exist for you, because not every company runs across these lines, don’t forget your non-organisational online networks. The fact that you are here reading this article means you are likely to be in some way affiliated to the AllBright everywoman community. Hoorah, this is an excellent start. One of our main reasons for being is to offer plenty of structured, small-group sessions and virtual meetups that have accountability and inspiration baked in. (There are plenty of upcoming events designed to spark connections and expand your network, so be sure to explore what’s on the horizon.) While it might feel awkward reaching out to names you’ve never met in person, for introverts as least, this distance is often a blessing. Networking online requires far less energy and confidence, so it is always worth capitalising on the opportunities your computer can connect you to.
- Give before you get (or should you?): There are several schools of thought here, some believe networking remains a transactional enterprise, and as such advise the offering of resources, introductions, and visibility to others first, to ensure reciprocity further down the line. While this certainly does no harm, we are believers in holistic relationships that feed each other in less obvious ways. Networking is no longer a quid pro quo endeavour; we all benefit when one person brings another into a conversation, so while it pays to be kind, reciprocity works in many directions, so don’t get hung up on giving too much first.
Now that you’ve mapped the importance of sponsors, peers and micro-communities, the next step is simple: start putting yourself in the rooms — virtual or in-person — where those connections can form.
Take a look at the upcoming AllBright everywoman events and community sessions designed to help women build trusted networks, gain fresh insight and access new opportunities. A single conversation can change the direction of your career — let’s make sure you’re part of the ones that matter.
