Jan 12 2010

Ways Change Agents Can Help Sponsors

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. more

Dec 15 2009

How to Spot (and Help) a Good Sponsor

In the last two posts, we’ve examined things about sponsorship that many of us believe to be true. We’re also looking into why we sometimes stray from these axioms when we design interventions and/or interact with sponsors.

In my work, I’ve found that the most effective sponsors display a common set of characteristics. Of course, they’re expressed differently depending on the organization, the circumstances, and the personality of the sponsor, but in general, highly successful sponsors are purposeful, attentive, committed, decisive, and resolute. I’ll break these down into very specific statements and actions. more