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Change Management Experts Answer Your Tough Questions

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This article is part of our AIM Methodology series.

As change management consultants, we've had a chance to work with some great leaders. When we see leaders who are consistent in what they are Expressing, Modeling and Reinforcing the new behaviors, the change initiatives we work on move much faster. But we also find our share of leaders who just don't get what they need to do as sponsors of change.

In far too many organizations, there are sponsors who are unclear about their role, say they are "too busy" to be involved, or believe that the people needs are an HR responsibility. Often these sponsors say they support the change, but act as if the responsibility for the change is "out there."

The Importance of Sponsorship

A cascade of sponsors at every level of the organization, each of whom is Expressing, Modeling and Reinforcing their public and private commitment, is the single most critical success factor in achieving a fast and successful implementation.

Somewhere between 50-60% of the likelihood of achieving full optimization depends on what sponsors say, what they do, and what they reinforce with their direct reports on a daily basis.

That's why we stress that perhaps the most important skill for any Change Agent is to effectively contract with sponsors for the actions needed. Sponsor Contracting is the exchange of wants, needs, and offers between a Change Agent and a Sponsor. It's an on-going process that needs to be repeated as the initiative evolves.

5 Tough Sponsor Situations and How to Handle Them

The good news is the skills necessary to effectively contract are trainable and can be learned with practice. In fact, we spend a lot of time during our AIM Accreditation programs teaching and practicing these skills.

During the training, we make sure the practice scenarios match the scenarios our participants will find back in the real world. Here are 5 common real-life sponsor situations, and our advice on how to handle them:

1 – How do you contract with a Sponsor you don't know?

The truth is… you can't. Fundamentally, you have to have trust and credibility with a Sponsor to contract effectively. If you don't have trust already, you need to find Champions with trust and influence, or other people who know the Sponsor, to have them help you prepare and even to participate in the contracting discussion.

2 – What do you do when you are dealing with a Sponsor who is several levels above you?

If you already have a trust relationship with the higher up executive there really is no problem. However, as we said, you can't contract with a Sponsor without trust and credibility. Our best advice in this situation is to go one level up to find someone with the right relationship with the higher-level Sponsor. If that doesn't work, you will need to keep going up, level by level, to find someone with the right relationship, and enlist their help.

3 – How do you deal with sudden Sponsor turnover?

This is a common problem in any business implementation. Just when you think things are going well (or just when you think things couldn't get any worse) a Sponsor leaves or is "re-assigned" to a new initiative. Whether it's an individual, or a few members of a Steering Committee that have left, there are 3 basic actions to take:

  • Update — Share what is going well, and what is not going well.
  • Re-educate — Reinforce the importance of Expressing, Modeling and Reinforcing.
  • Coach — Guide them through what they should do to get the business outcomes they desire.

Sponsors, whether they have been there for the long haul or are brand new to the initiative, need to understand their role.

4 – How do you tactfully call out a Sponsor who is not living up to some aspect of their contract?

When you are working with a Sponsor, the guiding principle is you have to get out of your own Frame of Reference and get into theirs. You need to ask yourself, "What is it that this Sponsor is trying to achieve?" Remember, it is not your objectives they want to accomplish, but theirs.

Start this type of conversation with what is going well, and what is not. Then frame the discussion around what they want to achieve from a business-case perspective. Remember, you do want to be honest, but you should not make things personal.

5 – How do you recruit former Sponsors to be Champions for another initiative?

Fundamentally, a Sponsor can only be a Champion for a different initiative if they believe in the new initiative personally. But you have to ask for what you want. Sponsors are people, too. They can't read your mind, and they certainly don't know what you need from them if you don't ask.

Winning Sponsor Support with Trust and Empathy

So the next time you need to contract with a Sponsor, remember that building trust and credibility is paramount. If you don't already have this type of relationship, you need to find someone who does, and enlist their help.

Then have your conversations from their Frame of Reference, not yours. Focus on what you need from the Sponsor to achieve that person's own business and personal objectives.

By following these two simple tips, you will set both you and your Sponsor up to be successful.

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