Oh, you’ve been there … that much I know.  You are the Project Manager on something with high visibility and you are also stuck with a project sponsor who acts more like an absentee landlord than a collaborative partner.  Despite all your efforts to engage her/him, the sound you hear most is the quiet chirping of the crickets of non-participation.  Yes, I’m thinking you’ve been there and so have I.  And for those to whom this sounds foreign, you just haven’t managed enough projects yet – your time will come.

Presto Chango Disappearo!!

It seemed to start out well.  You had kick-off meetings and there was a lovely and inspiring speech by the project sponsor.  Everything was clearly tied to business goals and objectives.  The team was ready to tackle the project and you, the PM, were enthusiastic about managing it.  Then something – most likely in subtle ways at first – began to change.  Your sponsor began to slip away and disconnect.

At first, you think nothing of it.  “Probably just swamped” you think.  But then the tell tale signs all begin to line up and you find yourself running a project of significant visibility and your sponsor is totally (or almost totally) disconnected from it.  You try and try again to engage the sponsor, but your efforts are met not with mere resistance, but with indifference.

DON’T BLAME YOURSELF

You aren’t to blame here, but it is now your problem.  I’d suspect the root issue is that your organization does a poor job of selecting and preparing people for the role of project sponsor.  That’s a critical gap I’ve seen far too often in my experience.  Frankly, I’d rather have a hyper-involved sponsor over an absentee one, but you play the hand you are dealt and that means taking action and documenting your decisions.

So if you are stuck in this situation, what do you do (assuming you got through the “don’t blame yourself” bit)?  For me, the first set of tools is to sharpen my influence and plot out who I need to connect with in the organization.  What I’m trying to avoid is going from an “absentee” project to an orphan.  And, in reality, it probably means the PM will have to do some of the basic work that the sponsor was supposed to handle.

SIMPLE, SMALL STEPS

Above all, make sure you and your lead Business Analyst can clearly tie the project back to business objectives.  This may sound like a rudimentary idea, but it really is important to keep that connection in the forefront when the sponsor disappears.  Somebody else in your organization (probably at or above the intended sponsor’s level) will derive benefit from your success and it would be beneficial to make that connection.  Get that person’s buy-in on the business value and you probably have a pseudo-sponsor you can lean on when things get dicey.

Be twice as diligent on documenting communication – especially with your appointed sponsor.  Set reminders, follow-up and continue to engage her/him.  Yes it is CYA to a certain extent, but you need to be able to reconstruct timelines and show you did your job.  That may sound like harsh truth, but it is truth nonetheless.  And while you are communicating, keep your own direct manager informed (assuming she/he isn’t your sponsor).

Finally, keep on delivering excellence.  That is, after all, what you are chartered to do.  In reality, you should still be able to do that with or without your sponsor.  You just need to be judicious and diligent – plus more than a little savvy on navigating your organizations politics.

ONE FINAL THOUGHT

If you find yourself repeatedly in this predicament, it may be time for a little self-assessment.  Can you continue to be successful and fulfilled in an organization where the sponsors aren’t engaged?  I found myself in that place, or at least with a sponsor who wouldn’t listen to the echoes of reality (which meant the timeline was considerably longer than the first SWAG said it would be).  I had to evaluate things and I chose to look for an opportunity to test my parachute.  Some were surprised to read my resignation, yet those who truly understood congratulated me for doing what I did.

Hard choices all, but choices that still need to be made.  You as the PM need to decide how to reign in or work around your own Absentee Sponsor.

Bio:

Mark Moore has held multiple professional positions in IT and business for nearly three decades serving organizations both small and large, public and private.  With over half that time as a project manager, he has successfully managed major initiatives
spanning multiple years with a cost of over $3 Million and teams of over 250 people.  He has been a Project Management Professional since 2002, served as President of the PMI Western Michigan Chapter, and presented at multiple NCPMI Annual Events.  Mark holds a Masters of Education degree from Colorado State University with a concentration in Adult Education and Training.  He is an experienced writer, speaker and presenter on project management and team building topics.  Mark is the Principal Consultant for Broken Arrow Associates, LTD.  He and his family live in a rural area outside of Raleigh, North Carolina.  To contact Mark for opportunities or questions, send an e-mail to info@baa-ltd.com.