About this Video

• Video Title: Project Sponsor Challenges and Solutions | Episode 332
• Channel: CorneliusFichtner
• Speakers: Cornelius Fichtner, Todd Williams
• Duration: 00:30:05

Introduction

This podcast episode discusses challenges in executive project sponsorship. The hosts review a white paper by Todd Williams that identifies common problems and proposes solutions for improving project sponsor engagement and effectiveness. A key focus is on defining the project sponsor's role and responsibilities.

Key Takeaways

• Lack of Defined Roles and Responsibilities: A major problem is the absence of a clear definition of the project sponsor's role, leading to inconsistent engagement and performance.
• Todd Williams' Definition of a Project Sponsor: The sponsor's key responsibilities include: 1) creating and maintaining a project vision aligned with corporate goals; 2) managing organizational change; and 3) maintaining fiduciary responsibility (ensuring the project stays within acceptable risk parameters for the organization).
• Sponsor Traits: Beyond responsibilities, crucial sponsor traits include leadership, belief in the vision, engagement, decision-making capabilities, and respect/trust.
• Addressing Sponsor Issues: Solutions include fostering leadership, ensuring accountability for project success (including adoption), communicating priorities clearly, establishing a common definition of the sponsor's role, and providing sponsor training.
• Project Manager Actions: Project managers should directly communicate with sponsors to clarify expectations, identify adoption challenges, and collaboratively address issues.

According to Todd Williams, a project sponsor is an executive who maintains an arm's-length relationship with the project's details. Their key responsibilities are: 1) creating and maintaining a project vision aligned with corporate goals; 2) managing organizational change; and 3) maintaining fiduciary responsibility (ensuring the project stays within acceptable risk parameters for the organization). Beyond responsibilities, effective sponsors demonstrate leadership, belief in the vision, engagement, decisive action, and earn the respect and trust of those involved.

Whether organizations recognize sponsorship issues depends on their perspective of project success. Organizations prioritizing adoption of project deliverables as a key success metric are more likely to acknowledge sponsorship problems than those focusing solely on meeting scope, schedule, and budget. Even within organizations that recognize the importance of adoption, the definition of the sponsor role may vary, potentially obscuring the issue. Project managers, however, frequently cite a lack of sponsor engagement as a significant problem, regardless of the organization's success criteria.

Beyond the lack of sponsor engagement, project managers also highlighted that they were assigning tasks to sponsors that didn't belong to the sponsor role. Specifically, many PMs incorrectly assigned charter creation responsibility to the sponsor. They also noted that sponsors were not fulfilling accountability, adoptability, or financial aspects of their roles. The lack of a clear definition of the sponsor's role contributed to this misalignment of responsibilities.

The discussion emphasizes that project success necessitates adoption of the project's deliverables. Merely meeting scope, schedule, and budget is insufficient; the project's output must be used and provide value to the organization. The sponsor plays a crucial role in achieving this adoption, as their engagement and influence extend beyond the project's technical lifecycle.

Communicating priorities is crucial because sponsors often juggle multiple responsibilities. If a sponsor's priorities shift, the project's status and resource allocation may be affected. Open communication ensures that project managers are aware of any changes in priority and can adapt accordingly, perhaps by adjusting timelines, reallocating resources, or even halting the project if it becomes too low a priority. Without clear communication, projects can stagnate or fail due to a lack of attention and resources.

The role of the sponsor is multifaceted. It involves three core responsibilities: 1) establishing and maintaining a project vision aligned with organizational goals; 2) overseeing organizational change management to ensure adoption of the project's outcomes; and 3) maintaining fiduciary responsibility, ensuring the project operates within acceptable risk parameters for the organization. Beyond these responsibilities, effective sponsors exhibit leadership qualities, remain engaged throughout the project's lifecycle and adoption phase, and possess strong decision-making skills, all while maintaining credibility and trust.

Sponsor training aims to equip project sponsors with the knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill their responsibilities effectively. This involves providing a concise roadmap of their roles, responsibilities, and day-to-day activities, helping them understand their interaction with project managers and other stakeholders. The training also clarifies key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics for assessing progress, particularly concerning organizational change management and adoption of the project deliverables. The goal is to create a shared understanding of expectations and improve collaboration between sponsors and project teams.

Todd's company, Eamon Incorporated, assists clients by addressing project sponsorship issues in several ways. They help define the sponsor's role within the client's specific organizational culture, providing templates and guidance. They also assess the client's adoption strategies and processes, suggesting improvements to make them more efficient and effective. In essence, they help organizations refine their approach to project sponsorship and ensure the sponsor is actively involved in driving project success and adoption. They work with clients to mold their organizational processes for better project management and address the underlying issues in project sponsorship.

Project managers can take two immediate steps: First, they should schedule a meeting with their sponsor to discuss expectations. This involves clarifying what the PM anticipates from the sponsor and vice-versa, potentially negotiating the sponsor's role if it's not clearly defined. Second, they should discuss the adoption process with relevant stakeholders, determining who is responsible and identifying any roadblocks. This proactive approach aims to create a shared understanding and tackle challenges collaboratively. By initiating these conversations, PMs demonstrate leadership and contribute towards resolving sponsorship issues.