1. Sponsorship and the sponsor assessment diagram
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2. Agenda Why sponsors are important Sponsor roles Sponsor mistakes
Sponsor Assessment Diagram

3. Why are sponsors so important?
In each of Prosci’s six benchmarking studies, participants identified the # 1 contributor to success:
1998: #1 contributor – Active and visible sponsorship
In the 2009 study, sponsorship was cited 4 times more often than the next response
2000: #1 contributor – Active and visible sponsorship
2003: #1 contributor – Active and visible sponsorship
2005: #1 contributor – Active and visible sponsorship
2007: #1 contributor – Active and visible sponsorship
2009: #1 contributor – Active and visible sponsorship

4. Authority and credibility
Employees look to senior leaders for messages (both spoken and unspoken) about the project’s importance and the organization’s commitment to the change

5. Three primary roles of sponsors
Participate actively and visibly throughout the project
Build a coalition of sponsorship and manage resistance
Communicate directly with employees
p. 38
* From Prosci’s 2009 Best Practices in Change Management benchmarking report

6. 1. Participate actively and visibly
Sponsorship is more than signing the check and “kicking the initiative out the door”
Examples include:
Set expectations and establish clear objectives for the project
Hold the team accountable for results
Attend frequent project review meetings and actively review progress

7. 2. Build a coalition The coalition is not just an org chart
The coalition is based on ‘who is being impacted’
Bottom’s up approach!

8. 3. Communicate directly
Participants identified senior business leaders as the preferred senders of messages about the business reasons for the change

9. Do sponsors understand their role?
According to 2009 study data, 56% of sponsors did not have an adequate understanding of their role!

10. Biggest sponsor mistakes
“Was involved only at the beginning – announced the change and then walked away.”
“Assumed the change would happen without them; left the project on autopilot.”
Failed to personally engage in the project
Avoided direct communications with employees
“Did not share the vision and the rationale for the change with employees.”
“Assumed that sharing things once was enough.”
* From the 2007 Best Practices in Change Management benchmarking report

11. Biggest sponsor mistakes
“Abdicated sponsorship to the project team and outside consultant.”
Abdicated or delegated his or her role as sponsor
Wavered in his or her support
Failed to build a coalition of sponsorship with key leaders in the organization
“Moved on to other priorities; did not manage conflicting priorities.”
“Failed to set expectations with direct reports; assumed support would be there.”
* From the 2007 Best Practices in Change Management benchmarking report

12. Where are sponsors involved?
Communication plan
Sponsorship roadmap
Coaching plan
Training plan
Resistance management plan
A project or change management team member can develop the plans, but senior leaders must carry out the activities of sponsorship

13. Why sponsors struggle with ‘managing change’
They don’t understand their role
Benchmarking data suggests less than half have a good understanding of their role in leading change
They think they can tell people to just change
They live in the future state
Most change management challenges are tied to the current state

14. Developing a Sponsor Assessment Diagram
This chart will be a strong predictor of success or failure for your change.

15. 1. Identify impacted groups
Examples:
Logistics
Sales
Manufacturing
Finance

16. Sales Region 1 Sales Region 2
2. Draw a Sponsor Assessment Diagram Add the impacted groups at the bottom of the diagram. You will be creating this diagram from the bottom looking upward into the organization.
Primary
Sponsor
Sales Region 1
Logistics
MFG
Finance
Sales Region 1 Sales Region 2

17. 2. Draw a Sponsor Assessment Diagram For each impacted group, add the person that this group of employees would view as “in charge” of their area.
Primary
Sponsor
e.g., Director of Logistics
D.C.
W.R.
T.L.
C.H.
B.U.
Sales Region 1
Logistics
MFG
Finance
Sales Region 2

18. 2. Draw a Sponsor Assessment Diagram Using the formal reporting structure, add all managers between these sponsors and the primary sponsor (or up to a management level equal to the primary sponsor if these sponsors do not report to the primary).
Primary
Sponsor
U.W.
S.P.
M.B.
E.G.
E.T.
A.B.
G.F.
P.O. IT
D.C.
W.R.
T.L.
C.H.
B.U.
Sales Region 1
Logistics
MFG
Finance
Sales Region 2

19. Sales Region 1 Sales Region 2
2. Draw a Sponsor Assessment Diagram Show the relationship between the primary sponsor and any peers at the highest level. This resulting diagram is the sponsorship group that you will assess in Step 3.
COO
Primary
Sponsor
U.W.
S.P.
M.B.
E.G.
E.T.
A.B.
G.F.
P.O.
I.T.
D.C.
W.R.
T.L.
C.H.
B.U.
Sales Region 1
Logistics
MFG
Finance
Sales Region 1 Sales Region 2

20. 3. Determine position of sponsors/key managers relative to the change
Assess the position of each manager relative to this particular change.
For those who openly support the change, designate him or her with an “A”. For those who openly oppose the change or are neutral, designate him or her with a “B”.
Check with the primary sponsor for any managers of whom you are unsure of their position on this change.

21. 4. Determine CM competency level of each person on the sponsor assessment diagram
Assess the sponsorship competency of each manager in the sponsor assessment diagram.
Level 1 = experienced and competent in change management ( score on Sponsor Competency Assessment)
Level 2 = limited experience and skills in change management ( score on Sponsor Competency Assessment)
Level 3 = little knowledge or skills in change management (< 70 score on Sponsor Competency Assessment)
Use the Sponsor Competency Assessment for assessing general sponsorship behaviors (for the class exercise, complete this assessment for only one manager).

22. Sales Region 1 Sales Region 2
5. Enter Alphanumeric designations on the sponsor assessment diagram
COO A3
T.J. A1
U.W. B3
Primary Sponsor
S.P. A3
M.B. A1
E.G. B2
E.T. A3
A.B. B2
G.F. A1
A.O. A2
I.T. B1
D.C. B3
W.R. A3
T.L. A2
C.H. A2
B.U. B1
Sales Region 1
Logistics
MFG
Finance
Sales Region 1 Sales Region 2

23. 6. Color code the sponsor assessment diagram
Green – supports the change and
has demonstrated a high-level of sponsor competency.
Yellow – supports the change and has demonstrated a moderate level of sponsor competency.
Red – opposed to the change or has demonstrated a low level of sponsor competency. A1 A2
B1, B2, B3, A3

24. 6. Color code the sponsor assessment diagram
COO
T.J.
U.W.
Primary Sponsor
S.P.
M.B.
E.G.
E.T.
A.B.
G.F.
P.O.
I.T.
D.C.
W.R.
T.L.
C.H.
B.U.
Sales Region 1
Logistics
MFG
Finance
Sales Region 1 Sales Region 2

25. 7. Present your assessment results to the primary sponsor
Maintain confidentiality (avoid embarrassing or surprising a business leader – use this diagram with care!)
Gain concurrence from primary sponsor.
Have a plan ready to address yellows and reds (should appear in your Sponsor Roadmap).
Enlist support of primary sponsor to address the most serious challenges.