Getting the best out of your project sponsor Sarah Coleman

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WiPM Conference 2013 Getting the best out of your

project sponsor

14 October 2013

Sarah Coleman

Director, Business Evolution Ltd

Non-Executive Director, Association for Project Management


“….. so your

Project Sponsor is

who?”

Source: “Noah's Ark” Edward Hicks (1846)

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&docid=Jjjm3DzXvzRCBM&tbnid=GtV4xaYoxVkAYM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FNoah's_Ark&ei=SqmoUZmSB8rwigL0joBo&psig=AFQjCNED5ktZQFcyaLHgrXWAl_4PaJj54A&ust=1370094282154678


That almost meant

something to me

a communication collision ….. … enterprise architecture …

relational databases …firewall

divisions… intra regional pops

… real-time … US host systems

… MPLS based network ….

WAN technologies … ADSL ….

SNMP out of band

CHI ANP

MCI

KYB

Legency POP

Inter-Regional

POP

IPOP

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MAD


http://store.brightkey.net/mconcepts_ebiz/OnlineStore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=295121


a view from the project manager …..

“ ….. exactly how are we supposed to get our sponsor motivated and

maintain their interest? We thought this should be a necessary part of

their role”

“ ….. our sponsor was really involved at the beginning,

but now seems to have a completely different set of priorities.

It is a continuous battle to get time in her diary.”

“ ….. they’ve given me a sponsor who has no

authority and very little interest in responsibility”

“ ….. the sponsor from hell – a micro manager …”

“Ours is a long-term project and we’ve had changes of

project sponsors on average every six months. Each time,

we have to start all over again and build the relationship

from scratch. There must be an easier way to deal with

changing sponsors, or even to stop changing sponsors.“


project sponsorship: a team sport …..

Source: Peter Holmberg. Alinghi Team training in Dubai 2007.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=america's+cup+photo+gallery&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=hq7v2qJUYr2onM&tbnid=kGXqhtgS4yRA1M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpeterholmberg.com%2Fgallery%2F&ei=y8uoUcvVOYSl0wWO0IHQDQ&bvm=bv.47244034,d.d2k&psig=AFQjCNE14edzgX2JwL1z_UlZHNS_jgQI2A&ust=1370102963303942


building the individual & organizational capability


a balance of factors …..

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=5u9hAxK2MUKlGM&tbnid=M1SnzEMDdL2iJM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tanikahoffman.co.za%2FSSA%2Fwordpress%2F&ei=jUasUfuUIYTs0gWyt4CYDw&psig=AFQjCNGZ14gOWWw9cUn4-JL32uxde_HpJg&ust=1370331149582007


do you speak project sponsorship?


a tough meeting with the project sponsor …..


question ……

What are 3 key ways in which a

project manager can contract

successfully

with a project sponsor?

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=jT-lmrodOgKpuM&tbnid=5gfLQ3_DAutRbM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mynamesnotmommy.com%2Fyes-there-are-dumb-questions%2Fquestion-mark%2F&ei=WNBTUviDDKTE0QWKvoDAAg&psig=AFQjCNHkkTgmvMtIsjQrBcFpjXw4ClfQ5Q&ust=1381310936231855


“….. different projects require different types and

degrees of sponsorship. This isn’t necessarily

recognised by my organization.”

a view from the project sponsor…..

“What is ‘success’ for the Project Sponsor role? If it all goes *!*s up

then I know I’ve failed!”

“….. my project manager likes to think he is running the

show. Major decisions are taken without input or

knowledge and it makes me look ridiculous because I go

to Board meetings without having been briefed.”

“….. she has no understanding of my time commitments,

how I view the project and what I need from it.”


How does your organization develop

and support its own project

sponsorship capability?

What kind of projects within your

organization are provided with project

sponsors?

Does one size of project sponsorship

fit all project types within your

organization?

How does your organization measure

the success of the role, and of the

individual within the role?

questions …..

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=jT-lmrodOgKpuM&tbnid=5gfLQ3_DAutRbM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mynamesnotmommy.com%2Fyes-there-are-dumb-questions%2Fquestion-mark%2F&ei=WNBTUviDDKTE0QWKvoDAAg&psig=AFQjCNHkkTgmvMtIsjQrBcFpjXw4ClfQ5Q&ust=1381310936231855


and finally …..

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=sjLgYu1GpnsYbM&tbnid=jHxKwiQPNB7XrM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.quirkybet.com%2Fpolitical-bets%2Fsir-alan-sugar-to-be-next-london-mayor&ei=m7GoUcyMO8bKiwLIyoCICw&psig=AFQjCNGtCWXgV27OPXj1uXkQ1N0VWeU_IQ&ust=1370096412023058


thank you …..

e: [email protected]

w: www.businessevolution.co

b: www.blog.businessevolution.co

m: +44 (0)7999 879870

t: +44 (0)1636 893716

Link, Join, Share …

….. getting the best out of your project sponsor

http://uk.linkedin.com/in/sjcoleman

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Getting the best out of your project sponsor Sarah Coleman

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