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Ways Change Agents Can Help Sponsors

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As I wrote in my last post, even sponsors with lots of experience leading difficult transitions need the help of skilled change practitioners.

Sponsors are most effective when we help them:

Have a clear definition of the change. Effective sponsors must see the desired state clearly and understand the overall intent.

Recognize and express their dissatisfaction with the present state. Successful sponsors need to be keenly aware that the organization cannot afford to fail at the change; they have to be tenacious about fully realizing the initiative’s objectives and communicate effectively to the organization.

Be aware of the organizational impact of the change. Effective sponsors must understand the complex web of relationships that make up their organization and how the proposed change will affect each of the areas.

Make tough decisions. Successful sponsors have to make unpopular decisions, engage in actions that are not in their personal best interest, take political risks, etc.

Commit the resources necessary for the change. Sponsors who succeed must accurately assess such things as the potential for overload, resistance, and culture as well as the other competing demands for resources. Then they can commit the necessary resources to the change.

Understand the sacrifice required. Productive sponsors must understand the personal and/or political price for succeeding with transformational change and communicate to others in the organization that sacrifice will be required when the price of failure is prohibitive.

Hold peers accountable. Powerful sponsors need to recognize the importance of partnering with peer sponsors across the organization to accomplish the change objectives; they must hold each other accountable, speak candidly, be open to feedback, and surface issues (no matter how politically sensitive) that could derail the change effort.

Cascade sponsorship. Effective sponsors should create a strong cascade of sponsorship that extends down through the organization from the initiating sponsor to include all primary sustaining sponsors and local sustaining sponsors.

Orchestrate commitment. Successful sponsors must understand that building commitment is a process that requires a series of carefully planned communications and events.

Surface barriers to realization. Sponsors who succeed with change efforts need to recognize that surfacing obstacles and addressing risks are inherent parts of managing change; they must expect and reward assertive management of risk-related information.

Communicate effectively. Successful sponsors should be clear, accurate, and compelling when articulating the price for maintaining the status quo and convincing others that achieving realization is non-negotiable.

Use consequence management. Successful sponsors should use rewards and punishments to sanction change and drive tactical objectives as well as strategic goals.

Demonstrate public commitment. Effective sponsors must openly demonstrate their commitment to the endeavor; they should support the change in public so targets can see their conviction for the change.

Demonstrate strong private support. Skilled sponsors should use “behind-the-scenes” action to show they are not just paying “lip service” to the change project.

Manage capacity. Successful sponsors need to maintain vigilance on the capacity of those affected by the initiative to absorb the change and take corrective action as required.

Understand the human impact of the change. The successful sponsor must recognize how many people and groups will be affected by the initiative—they need to grasp the true impact of their change-related decisions.

Address resistance. Successful sponsors should deal effectively with the nature and intensity of resistance as the project is implemented.

Communicate project status. Successful sponsors should use both formal and informal channels to keep people current on the progress of a project and thus build and maintain support for the effort.

Manage expectations. Effective sponsors need to communicate clear and explicit expectations for what will be accomplished, how it will be done, and when it will be completed.

Orchestrate key roles. Powerful sponsors must ensure that they—as well as other sponsors, change agents, targets, and advocates—perform their designated roles well.

Narrow their focus. Successful sponsors should reduce their span of attention so they can be relentlessly focused only on business imperative initiatives.

Sustain support. Effective sponsors must continue to invest resources, energy, and attention as long as necessary to achieve the realization goals of the change.

Do you have additional ideas on how we can help sponsors be more effective?

Next: Guidelines for Dealing With Top Change Agent Challenges

Go to the beginning of this series.


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