“Uninformed sponsors – sponsors in name only – are of little help to project managers when obstacles arise.”
So says Eric Verzuh, one of my favorite authors on projects. Verzuh continues by citing a study performed within a Fortune 500 corporation. “This study determined that having a known and active sponsor was the number one reason for a project’s success, because problems were given timely attention by a manager who had authority to effect a solution.” Recently several clients and students have asked me how to improve sponsorship. I’m writing up my thoughts in an article. What’s your experience with project sponsors?