Research
Companies are realizing that encouragement and support of sponsorship is vital for developing top talent and advancing high performers, and that protégés, sponsors, and organizations benefit. While Kimberly-Clark does not have a formal sponsorship program, the company makes it clear to its executives that they are expected to sponsor high-potential employees. In 2009, Kimberly-Clark’s CEO challenged the company’s top 100 leaders to set an example for sponsorship behaviors and integrate this goal into each of their individual development plans. With input from their managers, leaders are expected to specify what they plan to do to model sponsorship and when they plan to do it.