98% of Fortune 500 companies have mentorship programs. 37% of employees say they actually benefit from them.
That gap isn't a funding problem or a participation problem. It's a design problem. The system was built for a world that doesn't exist anymore.
This week on Protégé, I broke down why the old sponsorship model failed — three conditions that disappeared at the same time. Today, I'm giving you the tool to see where YOU stand.
The Sponsor Deficit Assessment
Most people think they have sponsors. What they actually have is people who like them. There's a difference between someone who'd say something nice and someone who'd put their reputation on the line for your next role.
Here's the test. Three questions. Five minutes.
1. The Names Test Write down every person who could speak to your impact to someone above them — with specifics, not vibes. Not "she's great to work with." More like "she redesigned the onboarding flow and cut ramp time by 30%."
Target: 3-5 names across different functions and levels.
2. The Recency Test For each name, ask: when did they last see a measurable result from my work?
If it's been more than 90 days, you're fading from their advocacy radar. Not because they forgot you — because they've got nothing current to point to.
3. The Distribution Test Are all your advocates in the same function? Same level? Same team?
You need horizontal AND vertical coverage. Your manager speaks to execution. A cross-functional partner speaks to collaboration. A skip-level leader speaks to strategic thinking. One node failing shouldn't collapse your network.
What This Usually Reveals
Most people have 0-1 genuine advocates, clustered in their direct team. That's not a judgment — it's a design problem nobody taught you to solve.
The fix isn't more networking events. It's making your impact visible to people who are already in your orbit but haven't seen your work up close.
Your One Thing This Week
Pick the weakest point from your assessment.
If it's names — identify one person outside your direct team who should know your work. Find the next cross-functional problem and volunteer.
If it's recency — create a measurable win they can see this month. Update your impact log. Make sure someone with influence watches you deliver.
If it's distribution — look cross-functionally. Where are you invisible to the people who make decisions about roles like yours?
The old model waited for a sponsor to find you. The new model makes you impossible to miss.
-- Molly
P.S. This week's episode is the full breakdown — why the three conditions that made sponsorship work all disappeared at once, and the framework for what replaces it. Listen to this week’s episode wherever you get your podcasts.