The Project Manager’s Guide to Managing the “Difficult Sponsor”

Part of the challenge that the Project Manager faces is having to serve so many different stakeholders and sometimes being pulled in very different directions. We’re often taught that our “sponsor” is the person who champions the effort and provides critical support. Indeed, the sponsor is often the one we’re to seek out for support and issue resolution throughout the project. But what do you do when your sponsor IS the problem??? Unfortunately, sponsors can sometimes be unrealistic, overly demanding, absent/unsupportive, domineering/overbearing, erratic, unclear, or just plain weak! The good news is that there are techniques that even a rookie project manager can use to effectively manage these difficult sponsors.

This workshop explores three specific varieties of the “difficult sponsor”.

Sponsor Type 1 - I hope you don’t mind me intimidating everyone with my overbearing nature at your team meetings…I’m just trying to help you speed things along.

Sponsor Type 2 - I’m not exactly clear on what I’m looking for, but I’ll be sure to hold you responsible when I don’t get it.

Sponsor Type 3 - Would you please boil the ocean? (and solve world peace too while you’re at it).

This presentation provides practical, easy to use tips and techniques that project managers can use immediately to help manage these difficult sponsors for optimum project success.