Alfonso Bucero and Randall Englund
I’ll believe it when I see it.
I’ll see it when I believe it.
Do upper managers only come to believe in project sponsorship when they see it in action, perhaps from others in their organization or elsewhere (social proof)? Or do they believe in the vitality of project sponsorship and want to see it better implemented in their organization?
The latter belief is a good motivator for action.
Most executives we know seem to not believe in the need for project sponsorship, for several reasons. Some examples are as follows:
- What is in it for me?
- The person responsible for the project is the project manager.
- As an executive I need to ask for the results; it’s it to you to complete your project!
- I am very busy, do not bother me.
- You as project manager lead your team and need to get your project done.
As a project manager, I (Bucero) worked with executives in organizations explaining the project sponsor role and how the project sponsor can add value to the organization, to the project manager, and to the project. I clarified when, what, and how the project sponsor needs to participate in a project to contribute to project success, but many executives say I’ll believe it when I see it.
Giving the benefit of the doubt needs to be, in our perspective, an obligation for the executive to perform the project sponsor role, as a leader. The lack of trust and dialogue between executives and project managers seems to be a constant situation in several organizations. The project sponsor assigns the project manager to a determined project, expedites the project charter and has a meeting with the project manager, then disappears till the first project milestone arrives. Playing the role of a “ghost” as a project sponsor is not desirable. Project sponsors and project managers need to talk periodically and be aligned because they need to help each other to the benefit of the project and the organization. To achieve a successful project, they need to work as a team. As much as they establish better dialogue, the better they will understand each other.
Project sponsors are strategically busy, and project managers are tactically busy. Why not establish a link between their tactic and strategic work? Until that happens, they are condemned to not work together to the detriment of the project and the organization. Many questions that come to the project manager’s mind would be answered ASAP when the dialogue link between those roles works well.
The need from executives to see results to believe in is there. Project managers need to find arguments and justifications that may generate more and more awareness about the need for the project sponsor role.
On the other hand, project managers that believe in their projects, work closer and closer with their executives and make the effort to create awareness of the need for project sponsorship. Those people defend the thought: I’ll see it when I believe it. We (Englund & Bucero)believe in our profession and believe that working together with executives as a team generates better project outcomes.
I (Bucero) am working on research about executive training in project sponsorship. I can anticipate that in surveys submitted by 410 people worldwide, close to 60% of those people said that in their organizations their executives never received any project sponsorship training.
Executive training in project sponsorship is a must to have executives believing in the need for project sponsor involvement from beginning to end of their projects. There is still a lack of project sponsorship training in organizations worldwide, where project managers and executives can learn how to work together for project and organizational success.
How frequently are you talking to your executives and urging them that you need their involvement to achieve project success? Since some of them ignore it, be a kind mosquito reminding them they are critical for project success and the future survival of their organizations.
Believe in the power of commitment to make a difference.
Randall L. Englund and Alfonso Bucero are experienced practitioners, authors, presenters, and award winners for their project management contributions. Together they co-authored Project Sponsorship: Achieving Management Commitment for Project Success. Englundpmc.com and Bucero.com
