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Date
by Dave Wakeman
As project managers we are charged with balancing the needs of the C-suite with the needs of the day-to-day project implementers.
The problem is that this central role often lacks any clear or formal power. So we must rely on strong and meaningful executive sponsor support.
But how can you cultivate that support? Here are three tips.
1) Talk to your executive about the project’s ROI.
Tell them why the project is important now, where it fits into the organization’s long-term goals and what it will mean to the executive and the organization if you succeed.
Then listen to your executive sponsor’s perception of the project and why they see it as important. This will ensure you are on the same page and will give you the ammunition you need to have productive conversations moving forward — especially handy if you end up needing additional resources during the project.
2) Set a schedule for project updates.
Don’t let the momentum built during your first conversation die. Keep the executive engaged in the project through regular communications. And let your team know you will be discussing the project with your executive sponsor on a regular basis — this will help you have more productive conversations on both sides. Regular conversations with your team and executives helps you avoid the messy and time-consuming challenge of bringing people up to speed when they have been out of the loop for long periods.
3) Come forward with solutions.
When your project hits a rough patch, you can ask for help, you can wait to be told what to do or you can come forth with solutions.
The choice is easy: Always lead with solutions based on your expertise as the project lead. You are likely to get more buy-in from your executive sponsor with this approach because you have made the decision easier for them and you are acting like a partner, and not just a subordinate.
And that’s it from me. What advice do you have for engaging executive sponsors throughout the project lifecycle?
(And, if you’re interested, PMI’s Executive Sponsor Engagement report has some additional info on this topic.)
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Posted
by
David Wakeman
on: August 08, 2016 01:53 PM |
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