Given that you are reading this blog, I am going to assume that you work in projects (or maybe you want to transition into this space, or maybe you are flicking though LinkedIn over a well-deserved coffee). Whatever brought you here, welcome.

I met with a project manager recently who explained that over the past 18 months she had three different project sponsors due to restructures, redundancies and changes in management. We discussed how this can create an added layer of obstacles and hoops to jump through. And so this month, I thought I would discuss the importance of project sponsorship. 

Project managers and sponsors must have a symbiotic relationship to ensure project success. Hence it is important for both parties to ensure they have an open, transparent, professional and mutually beneficial relationship. Since as a project manager you do not get to choose your sponsor, it is crucial that you work towards building and fostering this relationship. 

Typically, a sponsor is already in place before a project is assigned to a project manager. Or sponsorship might change during the project and a new sponsor (who may have zero knowledge or experience of the organisation, or even of the industry for that matter) may come aboard onto your in-flight project. What strategies do you find work best in this scenario? I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

From conversations I have had, the consensus seems to be as follows:

If your sponsor does not understand their role or your project, you should organise a meeting with them to lay everything on the table and to discuss what you need from them to ensure smooth project delivery. Or else you may be the one that will be held responsible in the case that the project falls through (which we certainly do not want to happen!).

Trust, trust, trust. Engaging with the project sponsor is part of the working dynamic of all projects and the most important element on which to build that dynamic is trust. How do you build trust? Simple, by delivering on your promises. Easy right? It is also imperative to be clear and structured in your communication to meet the project sponsor’s expectations. 

Project sponsors need regular status updates and transparency. A project sponsor is undoubtedly the advocate of a project, and it’s her / his job to obtain commitment from stakeholders. They communicate the progress of the project to key stakeholders and senior management hence they need to be kept updated about project progress from regular talks with the project manager. So as a project manager you need to ensure that your sponsor is always updated and that they feel that they are part of the process.

While most project issues can be handled by a project manager, some of them are out of their scope. This is where a project sponsor steps in. The sponsor will have to resolve issues related to project risks, conflicting objectives, and so on, which are not under the project manager’s role of authority or supervision. So don’t hesitate to reach out to the sponsor even if you think you should just run with it yourself instead of bothering them. 

No matter how experienced you are in projects, a project sponsor acts as a mentor to a project manager. So do listen to them and take on-board their feedback given that they are the one responsible for taking strategic decisions. 

What have your experiences been with project sponsors and what challenges have you faced with sponsorship? I’d love to hear about your thoughts on this topic. 

I specialise in recruiting for business transformation, project services and change management for the Not-For-Profit, Health and Aged Care sector. If you would like to get an understanding as to what’s happening in the market and / or considering making your next career move, please don’t hesitate to reach out for a confidential chat.

Lydia Mc Williams

Consultant

Project Resource Partners

Level 7, 360 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 

T +61 3 9949 8100 D +61 3 9949 8106

E lmcwilliams@projectresourcepartners.com.au