why directing change is key to success

Welcome to Success Factors Discovery, your weekly email connecting you to moments of inspiration. Enjoy delivering highly successful projects.

In this week's email, I talk about not the project manager, but the person Directing the change. Typically this is a senior manager, some call this role the Sponsor. Getting this right is really key.

Early in my career, I learned that most directors or senior managers have not had training on how to deliver change.

That and they almost certainly haven't ever learned how to Direct change.

Directing Change talks to championing the project, securing resources, and removing roadblocks for the project manager and team.

I have had a few tough projects where the Sponsor didn't help in the way we needed.

If I could point at one thing, I would say they simply didn't feel like they could be that person influencing their peers to make the case for the investment needed.

This talks to leadership, and people fulfilling this role feeling empowered.

as a pm, you'll need to coach the sponsor

It's possible you've had project management training, or have experience delivering projects.

It's possible that the Director/Sponsor hasn't been in this role of Directing Change as much. They may not have had any projects training.

Some may even believe project management is more of a hindrance than help.

In all of these situations, if you are leading the project as the project manager, you'll have to coach, support and show kindness to your Sponsor.

wait, i am the sponsor

Alternatively, you may be reading this and thinking "I am the Sponsor".

If that's the case, then let me empower you in any way that I can to say, you can be that person to champion the change, influence your peers and get the resources actually needed to succeed. You can, and you must.

Sponsors, self-assess.

These insights reinforce my point: being a sponsor is a learnable role.

If we want our big ideas to succeed, we need sponsors who know how to be a champion and feel empowered.

Today, I’m sharing a Sponsor Quick Assessment (from the Praxis framework). It will help you or a Sponsor spot their own knowledge or experience gaps.

📆 Tuesday Action

Take this yourself if you're in Sponsor roles, or if you're a PM, send this to the Sponsor on their next job.

It takes five minutes to test your sponsorship capability.

👉 Take or share the Sponsor Quick Assessment

Don't just take it from me

I asked the community on LinkedIn if they’d seen the same pattern, and the responses were revealing:

Ian Heptinstall noted he has no issue with the project manager coaching the sponsor: “The sponsor doesn’t always know how to do the project — that’s the PM’s role. It’s like a first‑class passenger on an A380 thinking they can fly the plane because they earn more. Not true.”
Muriel (a sponsor coach) emphasises that investing in sponsor capability isn’t optional. Sponsors need practical guidance and support just as much as project managers if we expect them to succeed.
Carol Deveney MAPM has spent years training sponsors and finds them receptive: “Sponsors are often keen to learn because their professional development in this area has been under‑served by institutions and employers.”
Adrian Pyne observed that it’s all too common for senior leaders to lack a project background: “It’s more normal than not, and a sad example of why organisations stay unsupportive of projects.”
James Lea shared that sponsors often shy away from their authority until there’s a crisis: “When sponsors really need to step up, they’re deeply uncomfortable. You almost need a mini crisis to help them rehearse their role.

Speak next Tuesday.

Greg

P.p.s Our core discovery? It’s the four Success Factors that enable highly successful (and enjoyable) projects.

Check out the 12 Steps to Repeatable Project Success (powered by APEX-4).

Create Account - Access 12 Steps (free) →

It's instant, free and a game changer.

Success Factors Discovery