How to Advocate for Yourself at Work + Find a Sponsor (Scripts Included)
You can be the hardest worker in the room, but if no one is speaking your name in rooms you're not in, your career will stall. Here's your step-by-step playbook.
Let's be clear about something: merit alone has never been enough. If you're a African-American/Black woman in corporate America, you've probably already figured this out. You've watched colleagues with less experience and weaker track records get promoted. You've seen your ideas get credited to someone else. You've done the work and then watched someone else take the bow.
The hard truth? Promotions don't go to the most qualified—they go to those whose value is visible and whose name is spoken in the right rooms. This means you need two things: the ability to advocate for yourself AND people who will advocate for you when you're not there.
What You'll Learn
- Why Self-Advocacy Isn't Optional (It's Survival)
- How to Advocate for Yourself Without Feeling "Braggy"
- The Difference Between Mentors, Sponsors, and Advocates
- How to Identify Potential Sponsors in Your Organization
- Scripts to Ask Someone to Be Your Sponsor
- How to Make It Easy for Sponsors to Champion You
Why Self-Advocacy Isn't Optional—It's Survival
For many African-American/Black women, self-promotion feels uncomfortable. We've been socialized to be humble, to let our work speak for itself, to avoid being seen as "too much."
But here's what that gets you: overlooked.
A McKinsey study found that African-American/Black women are the most underrepresented group at every level of corporate America beyond entry-level. We're doing the work—we're just not getting the credit or the advancement.
Hard Truth
Staying silent about your accomplishments isn't humility—it's invisibility. And invisibility doesn't lead to promotions. Your contributions should never be a best-kept secret.
Self-advocacy isn't arrogance. It's self-respect. It's ensuring that the people who make decisions about your career actually know what you've done. And finding advocates isn't politics—it's strategy. It's recognizing that decisions about promotions, raises, and opportunities happen in rooms you're not in, and making sure someone in those rooms is saying your name.
How to Advocate for Yourself Without Feeling "Braggy"
The key to self-advocacy is reframing it. You're not bragging—you're informing. You're giving decision-makers the information they need to make good decisions about talent.
1. Document Everything (So You Don't Have to Remember)
Start a "wins tracker"—a running document where you record your accomplishments weekly. Include what you did, the impact (numbers, outcomes, feedback), and who saw it. When it's time for performance reviews or promotion conversations, you'll have receipts.
2. Use the "Update, Not Brag" Framework
Instead of saying "Look what I did," frame your accomplishments as updates that help your manager or team:
"I closed the biggest deal of the quarter."
"Wanted to update you—the Johnson account closed this week. That puts us 15% ahead of our Q1 target. Happy to share what worked in case it's useful for the team."
See the difference? You're providing information, not seeking praise. But the information makes your value clear.
3. Claim Credit in the Moment
When someone else presents your idea or takes credit for your work, address it immediately—but professionally:
"I'm glad that idea is resonating! When I brought it up in our last one-on-one, I wasn't sure how it would land. [Name], I'd love to collaborate with you on the implementation since I've already mapped out some next steps."
This establishes ownership without creating conflict. You're not accusing—you're clarifying.
4. Send Strategic "FYI" Emails
After completing a project or hitting a milestone, send a brief email to your manager (and cc relevant leaders if appropriate):
Subject: Quick Update – [Project Name] Complete
Hi [Manager],
Wanted to let you know that [project/initiative] wrapped this week. Key outcomes:
• [Specific result with numbers]
• [Second result or impact]
• [Third result or next steps]
Happy to walk through the details if helpful. Thanks for your support on this.
This creates a paper trail of your contributions and keeps your work visible without waiting for someone to ask.
The Difference Between Mentors, Sponsors, and Advocates
People use these terms interchangeably, but they're not the same—and understanding the difference is crucial:
What they do: Give advice, share wisdom, help you think through challenges.
Where they operate: In conversations with you.
What you need from them: Guidance and perspective.
What they do: Use their political capital and influence to advance your career.
Where they operate: In rooms you're not in—leadership meetings, promotion discussions, succession planning.
What you need from them: Advocacy, opportunities, and access.
What they do: Speak positively about your work and potential to others.
Where they operate: Both with you and in rooms without you.
What you need from them: Visibility and validation of your contributions.
The real talk: Mentors are valuable, but sponsors are the ones who get you promoted. Research from the Center for Talent Innovation found that sponsorship is the critical differentiator in career advancement—yet African-American/Black women are 25% less likely than white women to have a sponsor.
You need all three. But if you have limited time and energy, prioritize finding sponsors.
How to Identify Potential Sponsors in Your Organization
Not everyone can or will be an effective sponsor for you. Here's how to identify the right people:
Look for These Qualities
- Positional power: They're in rooms where decisions are made about promotions, projects, and resources.
- Track record: They've advocated for others before—especially people who don't look like them.
- Visibility into your work: They've seen what you can do, or have an opportunity to see it.
- Respect in the organization: When they speak, people listen.
- Alignment with your goals: Your success would benefit them in some way (their team, their department, their legacy).
Potential Sponsor Mapping Exercise
- Your manager's manager (skip-level leader)
- Leaders of other departments you collaborate with
- Executive sponsors of projects you're on
- Leaders of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
- Senior leaders who've noticed your work in presentations or meetings
- Board members or advisors you've had exposure to
- Former managers who've moved to senior roles
Important: Your sponsor doesn't need to look like you. In fact, some of your most effective sponsors may be people with different backgrounds who have access to networks and rooms you don't. What matters is that they're willing to use their influence on your behalf.
Scripts to Ask Someone to Be Your Sponsor
Here's where most people get stuck. How do you actually ask someone to advocate for you without it feeling awkward?
The key: Don't ask them to be your "sponsor" (that can feel like a big, formal commitment). Instead, make specific, actionable requests that naturally position them as your advocate.
Script 1: Requesting Visibility
"Hi [Name],
I really appreciated your feedback on [project/presentation]. I'm working toward [specific goal—promotion, new role, etc.] and I'm trying to get more visibility with senior leadership.
Would you be open to mentioning my work to [specific person or in specific context] if the opportunity comes up? I'd be happy to send you a quick summary of my recent contributions to make it easy.
Thanks for considering it."
Script 2: Asking for an Opportunity
"Hi [Name],
I've been looking for opportunities to [gain specific experience/demonstrate specific skill] as part of my development toward [goal].
I know you're leading [initiative/project]—if there's any capacity for me to contribute, even in a supporting role, I'd love to be considered. I'm happy to share what I could bring to it.
Would you be open to a quick conversation about whether there might be a fit?"
Script 3: The Direct Sponsorship Ask
"Hi [Name],
I wanted to have an honest conversation with you about my career. I'm targeting [specific role or promotion] within the next [timeframe], and I'm being intentional about building support.
Based on our work together on [project/context], I think you've seen what I'm capable of. I'm wondering—would you be willing to advocate for me when opportunities or decisions come up in leadership discussions?
I know that's a meaningful ask, so I want to make sure I'm earning that support. What would you need to see from me to feel confident doing that?"
That last question is powerful. It shows you're not expecting something for nothing—and it gives you actionable feedback on what to focus on.
How to Make It Easy for Sponsors to Champion You
Once you have sponsors, your job is to make it as easy as possible for them to advocate for you. They're busy. They have their own priorities. You need to give them the tools to champion you effectively.
1. Give Them Your "Greatest Hits"
Prepare a one-page summary of your key accomplishments that they can reference. Include 3-5 major accomplishments with measurable impact, skills or experiences that differentiate you, your career goal and timeline, and what you're looking for (visibility, opportunities, promotion support).
Create your "sponsor brief" this week. Keep it to one page. Make it easy to skim. Update it quarterly.
2. Keep Them Informed
Send quarterly updates on your progress—brief emails that share wins and remind them you exist. Don't wait until you need something to reach out.
3. Make Them Look Good
When you succeed, acknowledge their support publicly (when appropriate). Thank them for opportunities they've given you. Their investment in you should feel rewarding, not one-sided.
4. Be Sponsorable
This is the part people don't want to hear: sponsors take on risk when they advocate for you. If you underperform, it reflects on their judgment.
To be sponsorable, deliver consistently excellent work, follow through on commitments, be visible and engaged (not just heads-down), handle challenges professionally, and make your sponsor's investment look smart.
Join The Corporate Clock Out
Connect with other African-American/Black professional women navigating career advocacy, sponsorship, and advancement—anonymously and honestly.
Join the CommunityYour 30-Day Advocacy Action Plan
Don't just read this article—implement it. Here's your plan:
Week 1: Self-Advocacy Foundation
- Start your wins tracker document
- List your top 5 accomplishments from the past 6 months
- Send one "project update" email to your manager this week
Week 2: Sponsor Mapping
- Identify 5 potential sponsors using the criteria above
- Research their priorities and what they care about
- Reach out to schedule a coffee chat with 2 of them
Week 3: Make the Ask
- Have one conversation where you make a specific ask (visibility, opportunity, or advocacy)
- Create your one-page "sponsor brief"
- Practice your ask out loud before the meeting
Week 4: Build the System
- Set a calendar reminder to update your wins tracker weekly
- Schedule quarterly check-ins with your sponsors
- Identify one high-visibility opportunity to pursue this quarter
The Bottom Line
Your talent is not in question. Your work ethic is not the problem. What's missing is visibility and advocacy—and both of those are within your control.
Start speaking up for yourself. Start building relationships with people who will speak up for you. Your career depends on it.
Final Truth: Every time you advocate for yourself, you're not just advancing your own career—you're showing another African-American/Black woman that it's safe to speak up. Your visibility creates permission for someone else's.
