LeftField - news in project management

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Welcome to the latest news and views from LeftField Project Solutions.

Confused about "sponsorship"? You're not alone!

More than 50% of project managers say their sponsor doesn't really understand their role and responsibilities, according to a 2009 Prosci international benchmarking report.

But what is "sponsorship"? Is it a noun or a "doing" word? And what behaviours does the role involve?

Our experience (and lots of research) indicates that active and visible sponsorship is a key factor in successful projects. Leadership from senior executives is vital in providing authority, credibility and consistency in the change process. Dr Andrea Shapiro in her book Creating Contagious Change, also identifies sponsorship as a “lever of change” that offers the benefit of being low cost yet adding high value to change efforts.

How effective is YOUR project sponsor?

Here are 7 quick ways to find out.
The sponsor:

• Meets with the Project Manager on a regular basis (rule of thumb is monthly)
• Establishes a clear vision for the project, that corresponds with expectations and resourcing levels
• Ensures the project is aligned with wider business objectives and determines priorities with key business leaders and stakeholders
• Builds awareness with employees about why the change is being undertaken
• Ensures effective sponsorship is demonstrated at different levels of management
• Works to remove obstacles and clear the path moving forward
• Demonstrates all of the above THROUGHOUT the project, not just at the beginning!

More crosses than ticks? Don't despair, but you may wish to consider how you can support your Project Sponsor.

Workshops such as Effective Project Sponsorship (refer to Upcoming Events) offered by LeftField can be helpful. Other suggestions are to provide him/her with a bit of light, targeted reading or to put them in touch with someone who can mentor or coach them with their sponsorship responsibilities.

We have project sponsors & champions, but we still don't have buy-in!

The quality of project sponsorship can make all the difference. Sponsorship, in its broad sense, is a behaviour rather than a role. Yes, it's a "doing" word as well as a noun.

Motivated and well-prepared project sponsors who are ready, willing and able to work as "change advocates" at all levels of the business/organisation are essential to keep your project on track and to get the whole organisation change-ready.

LeftField Project Solutions has worked with a number of project teams to diagnose the issues, improve understanding about roles and responsibilities and provide tools to help sponsors communicate confidently and effectively with their teams.

The result: more effective sponsorship, more buy-in and a project on the road to success.

Powerful Conversations

In the project environment, many types of conversations occur on a daily basis. Some of these conversations are simply a means to relay information, to check on activities or to facilitate transactions. Some conversations may be full of technical content while others are simply a means to engage on a social level.

Powerful Conversations are different. No - they are not about talking loudly and thumping your fist on the desk! They are conversations where there is a clear intent, an outcome to be negotiated or action to be progressed.

Powerful Conversations are often avoided because they can be difficult, uncomfortable and risky if badly handled. But let's face it - they are hard because we are talking about things that matter.

The best approach is to be well prepared and clear about what you want to achieve. Put yourself in the other person's shoes to understand their needs and make sure the conversation occurs in an appropriate setting.

When did you last have a Powerful Conversation?

The art and science of Powerful Conversations is covered in more depth in LeftField's Project Management Extension workshop (refer to Upcoming Events).

Creating Contagious Change

Dr. Andrea Shapiro's new book, Creating Contagious Change, is a great read for people interested in organisational change and understanding the Tipping Point model. Did you know one of our LeftField principals is the only Australian facilitator currently certified in this highly successful methodology? Email us if you would like to know more.

We're all ears

You’ve heard from us - we’d love to hear from you! Tell us about your experiences and insights. We also welcome any suggestions for topics you would like covered in future editions.

About us

LeftField Project Solutions is a boutique Tasmanian firm of project practitioners who have complementary skills in the area of project management. Our firm comprises three principal consultants – Bronwyn Cross, Lea Symonds and Sharyn White - combining strong technical knowledge with leading-edge expertise in people management.

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