THE BIG IDEA
I’ll say it clearly, sponsorship is the single-most important factor in ensuring a successful project in HR. In fact, for HR, it’s imperative.
A Project Sponsor contributes executive direction to the project team, providing an “umbrella” within which the team can operate to achieve agreed deliverables throughout the project life-cycle.
Sponsors may be called upon to resolve escalated issues, provide vision, guidance and reassurance to project team members, and even make executive decisions relating to risks affecting, or arising from, the project.
Put bluntly, when it comes to the project, the buck stops with the Sponsor.
TRY THIS
Sponsorship goes beyond HR projects!
Look at the ongoing work of your HR function and ask where ultimate accountability rests.
Is it with the person doing the work, their own management, or the CHRO?
Is it at the appropriate level?
Is it singular, or joint?
Is it assumed only by virtue of organizational hierarchy?
Will the person who is “sponsoring” the work likely to be held accountable if it does get done, or fails out of the gates?
If sponsorship isn’t clear, revisit the work and clearly assign the sponsor, reset expectations and monitor for delivery.
USE THIS
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
GO FURTHER
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