March 2006 FAQ:

Question: Do we still need a “sponsor” for our Information Technology initiatives?

Answer: "What you need is an Executive in Charge (EIC) of Organizational Change."

Unfortunately today’s language of “change management” and project management includes the word “sponsor.” The sponsor supposedly is the person who is willing to back a change effort and provide it needed credibility and, sometimes resources.

While that seems to make sense, there is a real problem with “sponsor” because it is a relatively “soft” term in the language of business. In many cases, sponsor has come to mean the “business person who stands behind the change.” In some cases, it is “way back!”

What we need is a credible authoritative business leader who fronts the organizational change, not backs it. The term “Business Executive in Charge” conveys the meaning that is required in change leadership. “Executive in Charge” says that senior leadership is the owner of the change effort and has a firm hand on the controls.

“Our change project doesn’t have and Executive in Charge,” you say. Then shut down the project, and re-charter it through stakeholder assessment. When you find your EIC, then it is full speed ahead. If you can’t find an EIC, then it’s time to “fold and walk away or run.”

For assistance in learning to identify an EIC for your organizational change,     e-mail Dutch Holland at dutch@hdinc.com or call 713.877.8130.

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