Executive Sponsorship Development & Coaching
 The single most critical success factor for transformational change programs achieving their intended results is clear, active and unwavering senior executive support for the programs goals and objectives. Sometimes called “program sponsor”, this change agent role is ultimately responsible for a large-scale change program within a company. Often operating executives have never been in the role of a Change Leader where they are looked to as the leader of cross-disciplinary business change, needing to gain/maintain the respect and support of their peers and their peer’s organizations to achieve the desired program outcomes.
This role is ideally held by someone in senior management. Typically, the executive sponsor is responsible for:
- Championing the project to the organization and its external stakeholders.
- Obtaining budget approval for the project.
- Accepting responsibility for issues escalated by the program lead.
- Signing off and oversee key elements such as the business case and project performance.
- Managing peer-level executive stakeholders support and advocacy
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A good executive sponsor is also a good problem solver, but is also someone that has the business savvy and reputation to exert pressure within an organization to overcome resistance to the project. These executive sponsors are often not experienced in leading a major change agenda but rather need development and coaching to help them navigate through common pitfalls and risks of these large change efforts, seeing the foresting from the trees and distinguishing opportunities from obstacles. Third-party coaching and support from an experienced management consultant throughout the program can provide the insight and perspective the executive or the executive team needs to effectively manage through these demands.
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