1. Team Leader Training Dealing With Sponsors
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2. Dealing with Sponsors
Joan has an idea for a multi-year program for her team. She has read about some research in the area in a recent journal, and she finds the ideas intriguing. She believes it is an area where behavioral science research has a good chance of uncovering a better way to do things, and it is clear to her that it falls within her research lane. She believes she should be able to find Army sponsorship and thinks the research, if successful, could be applied to Army operations. She is enthusiastic about the idea and pitches it to her chief.
Although her team doesn’t have experience with this particular topic, the research program she has in mind closely relates to her background and interests, and it would allow her to apply her special skill set to a real-life Army problem. Successful execution of the new research program would strengthen her reputation as the "go-to" person for advice and opportunities related to this topic area.

3. Dealing with Sponsors (Continued)
Realizing the importance of sponsorship (and because her chief said she needed to bounce the idea off several experienced military personnel), she began searching for directorates, units, or leaders who might benefit from this research.
She identifies three senior leaders who may be interested, gets on their calendars, introduces herself, and briefs her idea.
The first one shows no interest whatsoever. Upon further reflection, she’s not convinced he really understood what she was proposing to do. She’s not sure if this is because he lacks the background experience or the mental horsepower necessary to grasp the proposal.
The second and third prospective sponsors didn’t pan out either. The second one kept asking for things that weren’t even research. Joan listened politely, tactfully said "no thanks," and exited the meeting, leaving him slightly annoyed at her unwillingness to even consider the suggestions he took the time to offer. The third prospective sponsor wanted her to revise her idea to include changes and modifications outside her specialty area, which didn’t sound interesting to her.

4. Q1.What should she do next? How should she proceed?
Question & Answer Session
Q1.What should she do next? How should she proceed?

5. Question & Answer Session
Q2. How does a team leader find a balance between being responsive to Army input and being too responsive?

6. Question & Answer Session
Q3. What, if anything, should Joan have done differently in response to the first, second, and/or third prospective sponsor?

7. Q4. Where did she go right? What has she done well?
Question & Answer Session
Q4. Where did she go right? What has she done well?

8. Lessons Learned, Slide 1 of 10
Note: In the next seven slides, portions of the preceding scenario will be repeated along with a discussion of why the behaviors in the scenario are desirable or undesirable.

9. Lessons Learned, Slide 2 of 10
Joan has an idea for a multi-year program for her team. She has read about some research in the area in a recent journal, and she finds the ideas intriguing. She believes it is an area where behavioral science research has a good chance of uncovering a better way to do things, and it is clear to her that it falls within her research lane. She believes she should be able to find Army sponsorship and thinks the research, if successful, could be applied to Army operations. She is enthusiastic about the idea and pitches it to her chief.
Team Leaders need to search for, and be alert to, ideas that could develop into a research program consistent with the chief's vision of the current research package. Finding ideas in which you are genuinely interested can contribute to their effective implementation.

10. Lessons Learned, Slide 3 of 10
Although her team doesn’t have experience with this particular topic, the research program she has in mind closely relates to her background and interests, and it would allow her to apply her special skill set to a real-life Army problem. Successful execution of the new research program would strengthen her reputation as the "go-to" person for advice and opportunities related to this topic area.
As people progress in their careers at ARI, they should establish an ARI-wide reputation in specific areas. They should become the resident expert in a specific area. They should receive by-name requests for their expertise. The actions taken here contribute to those objectives.
However, once you’re a Team Leader, it’s not just about you. Joan’s motives here appear to be largely self-centered (personal interest, prestige) and insufficiently focused on her team, the Soldier, and the Army. Part of your job as a Team Leader is to channel your researchers’ interests and skills into team research objectives. This requires matching researchers' skills, availability, and interests with task requirements. In short, Joan should have been thinking about her researchers' skills and interests too, not just her own. Let them have input into the research program – they will have good ideas that should be incorporated. It is important that they are involved in what they are doing; that it is exciting for them.
In addition, part of your job as Team Leader is to ensure the researchers on your team have a chance to shine and become known in ARI and the Army. When Joan tailored her research program to your own interests and disregarded her researchers' backgrounds and interests, she limited their exposure and development.
Team Leaders must understand for ARI the only research that is important is research with a purpose. Joan did not seem to be devoting a sufficient amount of thought to how this research will benefit the Soldier and the Army. Modifying her idea to accommodate the needs of the third prospective sponsor could have resulted in a research program that is much more useful to the Army than the research idea she originally conceived.

11. Lessons Learned, Slide 4 of 10
Realizing the importance of sponsorship (and because her chief said she needed to bounce the idea off several experienced military personnel), she began searching for directorates, units, or leaders who might benefit from this research.
A successful research program means identifying potential sponsors ahead of time. You should never get to the end of a project and say “who’s going to be interested in this?”
Did Joan do her homework before meeting with the potential sponsors? Does she know what their missions are and what issues they are facing? How do they react to new ideas? Are they ‘all business’ or do they enjoy wide-ranging conversations? There is nothing wrong with asking others who know them what they are like and what they prefer in a briefing? Do your homework on people you are going to meet. Do not go in cold.

12. Lessons Learned, Slide 5 of 10
She identifies three senior leaders who may be interested, gets on their calendars, introduces herself, and briefs her idea.
It’s fine to pitch your idea to people you’ve never met, but you should also have a well-developed network that you can tap during times like these. Develop lifetime friendships – identify military and civilians that are successful and cultivate friendships by helping them and asking for help when needed. The broader your network, the better your research and the greater asset you are to ARI.
But sponsors will really only care about things that help them solve their problems. They will likely have little interest in research – however intrinsically interesting – that they cannot apply in their organization. It is possible Joan did not present her idea well enough to the sponsors or that she did not play up enough how it can help them, but it is also possible that her idea is no good for Army research, even if it might be great for adding to our understanding of behavioral science issues.

13. Lessons Learned, Slide 6 of 10
The first one shows no interest whatsoever. Upon further reflection, she’s not convinced he really understood what she was proposing to do. She’s not sure if this is because he lacks the background experience or the mental horsepower necessary to grasp the proposal.
Negative, confused, or uninterested reactions from a prospective stakeholder should prompt you to stop and consider “why?” Do not automatically assume it is the prospective stakeholder’s fault when he or she doesn’t understand or appreciate your idea. Accept responsibility: Maybe you are not communicating clearly. Maybe you are not doing a good job conveying your idea’s relevance and importance. Or, maybe your idea is not worth pursuing. Take the stakeholder’s perspective and mentally reverse roles with him: What might he be thinking? Why might you react in a negative or uninterested manner if you were in his shoes? Become the audience for your own briefing. Does it make sense? Is the level of language right? Does it flow properly?

14. Lessons Learned, Slide 7 of 10
The second and third prospective sponsors didn’t pan out either. The second one kept asking for things that weren’t even research. Joan listened politely, tactfully said "no thanks," and exited the meeting, leaving him slightly annoyed at her unwillingness to even consider the suggestions he took the time to offer.
Good. Joan effectively avoided getting lured outside of her and ARI’s mission. It is important to establish your and ARI’s boundaries by understanding and communicating the extent of (and limits on) your mission.
Rather than rejecting this leader’s ideas without explanation, it is important to communicate that his suggestions are outside of your mission. Military sponsors recognize boundaries in at least two areas: mission and chain of command. Here, Joan failed to communicate that he was asking you to operate outside of your mission. At best, she missed an opportunity to educate the leader on what ARI is all about, which could help him appropriately make use of ARI's expertise in the future. At worst, she annoyed him and gave him an unfavorable impression of her and ARI by failing to head off the faulty perception that she simply wasn’t interested in what he had to suggest.

15. Lessons Learned, Slide 8 of 10
The third prospective sponsor wanted her to revise her idea to include changes and modifications outside her specialty area, which didn’t sound interesting to her.
Your personal interest shouldn’t be the deciding factor that dictates whether you modify your idea to include the leader’s input. Reverse roles, and put yourself in other people’s shoes. How would your boss and researchers feel about the proposed modifications? Would the modifications make the research more useful to the Soldier and the Army?

16. Lessons Learned, Slide 9 of 10
Establish an ARI-wide reputation in specific areas.
Don’t put your own ambitions ahead of your team, Soldiers, and the Army.
Effectively involve key people (chief, sponsors, researchers) when planning and organizing ideas for a research program.
Maintain mission priorities.
Proceed with vision and purpose, ensuring team activity is relevant to the Army and has a clear path to Army impact.
Visualize the end state and identify transitions.
Do your homework on people you are planning to brief.
Establish and cultivate a well-developed network of professional relationships. Leverage the network to the benefit of your team and ARI.

17. Lessons Learned, Slide 10 of 10
Accept responsibility for communication failures when you are not clearly understood. Communicate in a way that is appropriate for the individual, audience, or situation at hand.
Use role reversal to gauge how your communications, decisions, and behaviors are likely to be received by others.
Have a clear understanding of ARI’s role within the Army, and take advantage of appropriate opportunities to help stakeholders understand ARI’s mission.
Themes
ARI Knowledge; Breadth of Vision; Perspective Taking; Planning and Organizing