Sponsors play a crucial role in the improvement initiatives in any organization. The sponsors are generally part of the executive management in the organization and charter improvement initiatives based on burning or strategic needs of the business. They not only lay down the vision for improvement initiatives but also allocate the budget and resources. At times, sponsors may do more harm than good for the initiatives to be completed successfully in a real sense. This may happen due to following reasons:
Setting unrealistic time line for the improvement initiatives - this arises due to the tendency to equate more resources being available to reduction in the time line by the same proportion. This is akin to assuming that if 1 person can run a mile in 10 minutes then 10 persons can together run a mile in 1 minute.
Focusing on short-term, superficial benefits over long-term, profound benefits - this arises due to the tendency to show quick results. This is often reflected in statements like "I would like to see us getting certified for a standard or model by so and so date". The end result may be that the certificate adorns the walls of the organization but the "improvement" part remains missing from the initiative.
Allocating inadequate resources for the initiatives - this arises due to the fact that sponsors choose to ignore the effort requirement by viewing it as a cost than an investment. This is reflected in creating virtual and part-time teams without budgeting for a part of their effort for the improvement initiative. This in the end may result in virtual improvement since virtual teams can only achieve virtual improvements. In such a situation virtual team members have a full-time job for which they are accountable while holding additional responsibility for improvement initiative but without having the authority to invest part of their effort in a formal way.
The role of sponsors should then be defined keeping in mind the above points. This way the improvement initiatives will have higher effectiveness. Sponsors should not ignore the long-term, profound benefits and must try to balance it with the short-term, superficial benefits. This would ensure an organization will get the certificate as well as the improvement!
Setting unrealistic time line for the improvement initiatives - this arises due to the tendency to equate more resources being available to reduction in the time line by the same proportion. This is akin to assuming that if 1 person can run a mile in 10 minutes then 10 persons can together run a mile in 1 minute.
Focusing on short-term, superficial benefits over long-term, profound benefits - this arises due to the tendency to show quick results. This is often reflected in statements like "I would like to see us getting certified for a standard or model by so and so date". The end result may be that the certificate adorns the walls of the organization but the "improvement" part remains missing from the initiative.
Allocating inadequate resources for the initiatives - this arises due to the fact that sponsors choose to ignore the effort requirement by viewing it as a cost than an investment. This is reflected in creating virtual and part-time teams without budgeting for a part of their effort for the improvement initiative. This in the end may result in virtual improvement since virtual teams can only achieve virtual improvements. In such a situation virtual team members have a full-time job for which they are accountable while holding additional responsibility for improvement initiative but without having the authority to invest part of their effort in a formal way.
The role of sponsors should then be defined keeping in mind the above points. This way the improvement initiatives will have higher effectiveness. Sponsors should not ignore the long-term, profound benefits and must try to balance it with the short-term, superficial benefits. This would ensure an organization will get the certificate as well as the improvement!
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