The Critical Role of the Project Sponsor (Part 2)
My last blog entry provided an overview of the Project Sponsor’s role. Unfortunately, when projects fail, the accountability often rests with the Sponsor. This week, we’ll provide insight into common Sponsor related problems.
The wrong Sponsor won’t have the proper clout to assist the project or sustain the results. A Sponsor who’s not fully literate in Process Excellence may not know enough about what needs to be done – it’s not uncommon for project leaders to be trained first; sometimes, Sponsor training lags or never quite happens. That can result in everything from poorly defined projects, with huge scopes or unachievable goals, to a general lack of project support and involvement. If training isn’t immediately available, mentoring from a Master Black Belt can help bridge the gap.
Unengaged Sponsors may not give the project the attention and support it requires – sometimes because they don’t have the training to understand what’s required, but oftentimes because they don’t see the project as important enough to support. If it isn’t important, it should be killed. If it is important, then other influential stakeholders may need to show some leadership by putting it in perspective for them.
From the opposite perspective, a Sponsor also can be too involved. Sometimes, Sponsors try to dictate solutions based on their own pre-conceived ideas. It may take some involvement by another influential stakeholder or Master Black Belt, but they need to agree to back off and let the process work, allowing the project team to develop solutions, even if those recommended solutions contradict their own beliefs. Only very rarely should a Sponsor be an actual team member. The Sponsor’s active support is vital, but if they’re actively at the table, they’re likely to be an overbearing presence, disenfranchising team members.
In businesses that are organized functionally, if a project targets something that lies within that function, it’s relatively easy to identify the Sponsor. Oftentimes, however, a process may operate cross-functionally, either blurring lines of accountability or crossing them. Project leaders necessarily will focus their attention on the process elements; they’re less equipped to negotiate with different functional managers for the resources the project will require.
In those cases, a high-level stakeholder will need to take a hand by identifying an “executive-level” Sponsor with influence across the entire process, or working with that individual to designate a local-level Sponsor to support the team. Because they will have to free up the organizational resources – people and time – to build the project team, however, the Sponsor’s identity needs to be resolved prior to assigning the project to a Lean Belt.
Otherwise, the project leader will get bogged down in the Sponsor selection issue, losing valuable time. This can sometimes double project cycle time. The Sponsor has another important responsibility: actively participating in project gate reviews, since it’s their objectives the project is meant to achieve.
It’s the Sponsor’s responsibility during reviews to make sure the effort is proceeding as defined. They are the ones who make the go/no-go decision for moving on to the next phase. Not just what they decide, but the way they behave in a gate review can have significant impact on the enthusiasm of the team for the work it has done, and what remains to be done.