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Transcript: How to Get Your Sponsor’s Attention

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How to Get Your Sponsor’s Attention

Have you ever gotten frustrated because your sponsor didn’t do what you were expecting them to do? I have. I used to get really frustrated that they seemed to not care as much about their own project as I did. It was super annoying.

Many years ago, I went to work for a company that wanted me to “turn their project managers into program managers and make them a PMO.” Hmmm…OK, that sounded like fun!

I went there all super charged to teach their project managers how to raise their game and take on a more strategic perspective of the organization. I wanted to help them see the big picture and put themselves in the shoes of the business leaders helping them execute business strategy. It turns out, that was the easy part, or so it seemed…but things still weren’t improving as fast as I felt they should. Something was still not right. I knew instinctually that the results should have been even better than the incremental improvements we were seeing…what was up?

I shifted my focus to the sponsors. I saw how long things were dragging out because sponsors were almost completely unreachable. They never had time on their schedules for the program managers yet were saying that all decision had to go through them. I’m sure it’s obvious to you why this would be an issue. Why wasn’t it to them? The only time you could get them, if you were lucky, was in sponsor meetings. The senior-level business guy addressed the attendance issue in short order, but that was only the first issue. What was happening IN the sponsor meetings was even worse.

I sat in sponsor update meeting after sponsor update meeting, watching as the cowering and nervous program managers I had coached and developed sat fearfully in meetings waiting for the “beating” they were likely to take from the sponsor. The conversations would go something like this (consistently):

PM: Here’s where we are on the program. We have a variance from baseline on X triple constraint item. Here are the issues.

Sponsor: This is unacceptable. What are YOU going to do about that?

And a back and forth ensued, ultimately leaving the PM in the position of defending themselves and having to figure out how they were going to solve all of the problems by themselves. They were afraid to ask for help and didn’t know it was OK to do so.

Then it hit me. After watching this for long enough to make sure it was a consistent issue and not an isolated sponsor problem (I had learned from prior experience, not to go in guns blazing with process and such – watch and listen to uncover the real problems you can help solve), I knew we had some work to do.

I kept thinking, “Why are they doing this? Don’t they understand that we are here to run their programs with them? If we fail, they fail.”

After a few conversations with the sponsors that were brave enough to tell it like it is (and yes, this did take time and patience to peel back the layers and build trust before they spilled the beans), I understood what was happening. They didn’t understand their role. They had never had a PMO before and project management was something IT did. The PMO was a business function there to execute business strategy for this division (and ultimately later the entire organization) but it was new to them and the concept was championed by a business leader that was also fairly new to the organization.

Program Management was a much more business-focused experience than what they had typically seen by project managers in the past. They just didn’t know there was another way. And they certainly didn’t know their role in supporting these more strategic programs lead to successful outcomes. It was just a different way to do things than what they had done in the past.

In order to help them, I had to understand where they were coming from. Now, I got it. It was naivety, not lack of interest or desire to support these programs. No one really explained to them what a sponsor was or what they did.

This is why it’s so important to never assume they “get it” when you are bringing change to an organization. You make assumptions and you can get way too far down a path without bringing your stakeholders along with you.

So, we had to teach them.

The number one factor in determining success or failure of your change initiative is…sponsor engagement. The engaged sponsor tells everyone that this initiative matters…and they are willing to remove barriers to prove it. So, that is something you must get right if you are to successfully drive your change.

1. Make sure they are sponsors: Oftentimes, we have folks in our organization that we call sponsors, but they barely engaged long enough to help you define the project or create a charter. As a result, you stopped hearing from them after their signature was on the dotted line. If they don’t care or are not impacted by the outcomes of the initiative, they may not actually be your sponsor. You may think they shouldcare, but if, ultimately, they don’t, they may not be the right person to go to for help with removing barriers, obtaining resources, solving problems, etc.

In this situation, you may want to talk to folks in your leadership team to give you guidance or do a little investigating yourself to determine who really does care about these initiatives, who is most directly impacted or benefits from the outcome to help you find that real sponsor. Then, you must get them engaged.

2. Define the WIIFM – What’s In It For Me (for them): Ask yourself what they win or lose as an outcome of this initiative being successful or not so successful. Do they win if this change is successful? Do they lose? What good things might happen to them if this change doesn’tsucceed? What happens to them if this change works? You need to understand their motivators so you can understand how to talk to them. If you talk to them in terms of their own WIIFM, you will be speaking their language.

The first order of business was to get agreement from the PMO sponsor (the person that insisted upon us being there in the first place) that his business leaders had more than a stake in the outcome of these programs, they OWNED these programs. They were going to be measured by the success of failure of these initiatives and they were accountable for making sure the program managers had what they needed to do their jobs, which was to execute these programs with the sponsors.

3. Set expectations: They may not know what you need from them.  This could be their first time in the role of sponsor…or maybe no one ever taught them how to engage.  Now you have to teach them.  Talk in terms of what you expect from them and what they can expect from you.  It’s important that you do this both ways.  They need to know how you will communicate with them, what you will share, what you will need from them and when, and how you will engage with them throughoutthe life cycle of the project.  This contract sets the tone for your engagement.

In order to figure out what the right level of expectations and services should be for the PMO and PMs, you should definitely go back to doing your homework and understanding what the organization needs from you. This will help you figure out how you support the execution of business strategy for the organization. It depends on the culture of the organization, the trust you’ve built with your stakeholders, the strengths and weaknesses of your organization, and the needs of the business you are there to solve. This will inform you role as a PMO and for each PM.

4. Gain commitment (for real):Speaking of contract…write it down.  The act of writing it down and sharing it makes it more real. Also, to make it feel real to them, have it be your “standard sponsor engagement plan/document/approach.” That gives it the validity of the “this is how we always do it” culture. Get confirmation from them. Make sure they understand (by asking questions, not talking at them).

In my example, we had to agree to some basic tenants of sponsorship. We had to explain the role and help them understand how they were to interact with the programs.

We also had to be crystal clear on our side. We had to explain to them the role of the PMO and the program managers running their programs. It’s important that you do this both ways. They need to know how you will communicate with them, what you will share, what you will need from them, when you will need it, and how you will engage with them throughout the lifecycle. This will be your foundation that trust is built on. Lay that foundation thoughtfully.

5. Tell them whatyou need: In my post “Project Communications Your Sponsor Will LOVE“, I explain how we need to communicate with our executives in meaningful ways and give them the information they need to make educated and informed decisions, to help you keep your project moving. We use something called IRMA, Items Requiring Management Attention. This is the area on your status report that tells the sponsor, “I want you to do something.”  Management appreciates directness and guidance on how they can help. What is the issue and what, specifically, you want management to do. Executives love simplicity, pictures, and when you answer their (sometimes unspoken) request to, “Show me what to focus on.”

5. Tell them what you need: In my post “Project Communications Your Sponsor Will LOVE“, I explain how we need to communicate with our executives in meaningful ways and give them the information they need to make educated and informed decisions, to help you keep your project moving. We use something called IRMA, Items Requiring Management Attention. This is the area on your status report that tells the sponsor, “I want you to do something.”  Management appreciates directness and guidance on how they can help. What is the issue and what, specifically, you want management to do. Executives love simplicity, pictures, and when you answer their (sometimes unspoken) request to, “Show me what to focus on.”

6. Tell them where you need them:Just like you don’t like being dragged into meeting after meeting all day long, neither do they. Generally, your sponsors are people that are in management within an organization…that usually translates to lots of meetings. They shouldn’t be in every meeting. Use the meeting invite thoughtfully. If they are in a meeting, there should be a very specific reason and outcome you expect from their attendance. If you fill them with too much information, they won’t know what is important, and what you need them to act on. Tell them what meetings you are having and which ones you need them in, and for what specific reason.

In my PMO example, we had to bring it all together in a DRAFT form (the reason for this is important) to discuss and collaborate on so that we could ultimately reach agreement around accountability and everyone’s role in the process.

Why is the draft so important? This gets to all of the change management stuff I talk about. If you want people to come along with you in a change you are trying to create, you must do it with them, not to them.

For the sponsor, we developed a basic set of expectations we felt they could live up to. While this list is not exhaustive, it’s a pretty good start. The key is not to come with all of the answers, but with an outline of some of the answers and then let them think about how they can help and add to the list. If you want them to own it, you definitely want them to contribute to the process of creating it.

Some other really important communication techniques to keep in mind…

7. Use cc carefully: They shouldn’t be on every email. See above about meetings. You will have them poking their nose into all kinds of stuff that you reallydo not need them doing AND it will slow you down instead of speed them up.

8. Don’t give them too much information: Give them just what they need to make educated and informed decisions. Then, STOP!! Have I made that clear yet? The sponsor with too much information, that isn’t all relevant, is a dangerous weapon that should never be fired.

9. Actively and regularly engage them: This is a two-way street. If you share with them the information they need to know on a regularbasis, and engage them in meaningful conversations, you can generally get what you need. Don’t just call on them when there is an emergency – you will have to spend more time than you would like getting them up to speed. If they have been kept informed to the appropriate level all along, they will be able to act quickly on your behalf.  Not sure what level you need to communicate? See the Project Communications Your Sponsor Will LOVEpost.

10. Be very respectful of their time: You want your sponsor to love you and engage? Make every conversation go something like this:

Hi, Sponsor. I have a brief update for you and a couple of items we need help with.

Here is the update (use one page or one bullet list – no paragraphs or monologues).

These are the two items we need help solving:

  1. This is the issue, this is the recommended solution, and this is how I think you could help. What questions do you have?
  2. Second issue is X and we have explored two options, neither of which seem viable because Y will push the date out by three weeks, and Z is going to cost more money than we have in our budget. Could you please help us explore options or determine if our assumed constraints are real?  

In both cases, you present the problem and show that you’ve done your homework before coming to the boss/sponsor for a solution. Who doesn’t love that?

Leverage them to help you problem solve and support the initiative, but don’t bring a laundry list of  complaints to them. They don’t want to hear it. It’s time consuming and unproductive. Save that for another time that you’ve set aside specifically for discussing grievances or when you need coaching…focus and keep them FOCUSED.

11. Speaking of coaching…need help getting them to engage? Figure out what kind of manager they are. Some people aren’t very focused when it comes to the details of a project. But, if you start sentences with, “could I ask for some…guidance, coaching, thoughts, advice, leadership, etc…,” you may be able to engage them. If they like to share their wisdom, then leverage that to get some of that wisdom thrown toward your project. This is not sneaky or dishonest. This is called meeting your stakeholders where they are and engaging them in the most effective way to get to outcomes. You talk to your kids or friends differently than your boss, right? It’s the same thing.

12. Use the “Power of Sponsor” sparingly: It drives me crazy when people name drop left and right to get people to act. That’s not leadership. If you go back to the WIIFM for the stakeholder you are trying to get to move, you should be able to motivate them properly. Brow beating them with the boss’s or sponsor’s name all of the time will just annoy them…and ultimately, they will see you have no power. Have real power over people…lead them…

13. Make them look good:People want to do well and they want to look good in the eyes of their peers or to themselves. If you focus on communicating with them in a way that ties their WIIFM to the successful outcomes of your change initiative, everyone wins.

Finally…before you get frustrated with your sponsor for not caring enough or being there when you need them, consider that they may not know that this is their role. This could be their first time in the role of sponsor…or maybe no one ever taught them how to engage. Or even worse, they have learned bad habits over the years that you will now have to help them break. Now you have to teach them.

Be the leader. Be a teacher. Help them, help you, help them.

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