ABSTRACT
Sponsorship is the single most important factor for large, disruptive organizational change efforts. Sponsors make the hard decisions, provide the budget and resources, rally the troops as needed, reinforce desired behaviors, and model the required changes. Sponsorship follows the organizational chart; it is a line function, because only the manager has control over direct report work assignments, performance reviews and compensation. Sponsors are critical to success of the implementation process. As such, it is important to ensure they are well equipped and comfortable in their role. To be most effective, sponsorship starts at the top of the organization and cascades down through the layers to front-line leaders. This means each successive leadership level must clearly communicate the appropriate sponsor role and expectations to the next level down. Executive sponsors are the glue that holds the project together. This is a critically important role.
