One of the lessons I should have learned in my early years but did not always capitalize on effectively was unlocking the value of actively partnering with my project sponsors. As project managers, we generally understand that project stakeholders are those who the project directly impacts and acknowledge that our project sponsors are intended to be those who are the key champions of the project's success. But are we truly engaging in a valuable partnership with our sponsors?
Many of my past projects would begin with a quick meeting or phone call with a senior leader asking me to manage a project in support of a key business objective. I usually had a sense that while this leader was sponsoring and ultimately accountable for the success of the project we were discussing, they also had several other pressing priorities and that my primary role would be to alleviate their need to spend focused time on the project. Unless the project was a major system or culture change, the high-level requirements would be quickly handed-off to me to run with. The project team, other key stakeholders and I would plan and execute the requirements as closely as we could, with interaction with the sponsor being limited to key reviews and resolution of major issues. This sponsor role in my experience was often more one of silent partner rather than engaged participant.
This approach opens the door for a communication gap to develop with the sponsor. This gap would sometimes be identified while assembling the project lessons learned, but I do not recall that solid improvement opportunities were developed to improve the sponsor's engagement quality or frequency.
As a result, an enormously powerful tool in effective project management was often left out. I believe there is a great opportunity to facilitate project success through simply building an active partnership with your sponsor. It can be as easy as routinely encouraging them to verbally support and champion your project in their staff and cross-functional interactions. The benefits will go in both directions. After all, not only are sponsors held accountable for the outcome of our projects, they are also well positioned in the organization to influence project support, remove obstacles and add synergy to our efforts. When working well, this PM-Sponsor relationship makes everyone's work easier to manage.
With a few small behavioral changes designed to make the most of the valuable time sponsors have available for us, we can more effectively engage them as partners. If we keep them up to date on critical project issues on a routine cadence; request they remove obstacles as needed and show them how they can display visible leadership, all without taking too much of their valuable time, we can significantly improve the chances of project success!
Have you unlocked untapped value by really engaging your project sponsors as partners in these activities on your current projects?
- Participate in developing the Project Charter.
- Develop a cadence of quick touchpoint sessions to gauge the need for removing project obstacles, adjust resources, or highlight successes.
- Advocate the project's value with the team and organizational leadership.
- Facilitate timely decision-making.
- Actively participate in critical stage gate reviews.
A quick glance at this list might lead you to answer "Yes" to all. A good challenge for you might be to get your project sponsor's opinion on these activities. Then reflect on their input and see if there is room to improve the active partnership with your sponsors and unlock more of their value. I think you'll find it will be an exercise worth your time!
