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Categories: Management Approaches
Situation: You could use some help selecting and enrolling a sponsor for your project.
I really believe that managing well is often less about knowing what to do than knowing what questions to ask. The answers to those questions get you really familiar with the project and the environment you are in - allowing you to adjust your approach to the specific situation.
That's why, as a part of our PM process Project HEADWAY, we include a set of questions for each task. I thought that exposing them, task by task, to all of you would make for an interesting series of blog postings. I'd love to get your feedback on whether these are the right ones for Enrolling Sponsors.
To identify a sponsor, think about the following questions:
- Who has the financial backing to be a sponsor for this project?
- Who has the political influence in the organization to be a sponsor?
- Who has a history of having their initiatives implemented?
- Will the person defend the project should it run into problems or begin to lose organizational support?
- As the project manager, with whom would you have a good working relationship?
- Who will provide the project direction and focus but at the same time, ensure the project is being accomplished according to the plan?
- Who it the end result will take ownership in the resulting product of your work and would therefore have a vested interest in its successful operation.
Ask your sponsor or a trusted colleague the same questions.
Posted on: April 13, 2008 09:18 AM |
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