How do we fix project sponsorship?

Project sponsors are vital to the successful delivery of projects, but they are often overlooked when it comes to support. How can we prepare sponsors better for their roles, and whose job is it to make sure that they understand what their role is?

At the Project Forum event recently in London I led a couple of birds of a feather sessions about project sponsorship. I had some really interesting conversations with project delivery professionals from all walks of life in different industries and with differing levels of experience. Here are my key take aways from those sessions…

How much time will this take?
Sponsors often underestimate the amount of time that needs to be invested to properly act as a sponsor for a project. It’s something that requires proper allocation of time (i.e. half a day a week per project at least) – not something that can be fitted around the edges of your day job. We need to set and manage sponsor expectations around the commitment of time that is required to sponsor a project and engage with the benefits realisation.

PM training or coaching is so beneficial!
It can be challenging to get sponsors to undertake training for the role (either general PM training so they understand the broader context and their part in the puzzle, or training specifically on sponsorship). However, sponsors may be more receptive to coaching or mentoring on project sponsorship, to support them through the process, than being asked to go on a training course.

It might also be helpful to link sponsors to a ‘PM expert’ within the business – someone who can guide them through the vagaries of project management processes.

Knowing what’s required
Providing a sponsor framework or agreement can really help. Sponsors must sign it to confirm their understanding of the role and what is required of them.

Come into the light!
There is a real perception that sponsors are not visible enough. PMs often end up being ‘the face’ of the project when it should really be the sponsor who is out there championing the benefits (and in turn the projects that will deliver them). We need to seek opportunities to promote sponsors into the limelight.

Developing business leaders
Project management training ought to form a part of all leadership development. Given that most organisations can be divided into operations and projects (/change), having a sound understanding of how projects get delivered at senior leadership level is vital if we are to avoid the wasted investment that results otherwise.

Thanks to everyone who joined the birds of a feather sessions, we generated some great ideas and had some really enjoyable discussions. Hopefully PMs and business leaders might be able to recognise one or two ideas above that you can implement to improve project sponsorship in your organisation.

And, of course, if it’s training or coaching that you need we have loads of practical courses available here, and for larger organisations with multiple project sponsors, our half day Effective Project Sponsorship course is a cost-effective way to get everyone singing the same hymn sheet fast.

To receive these blogs, project management tips and video tutorials straight to your inbox click here to sign up to our newsletter.