Earlier this week an unexpected issue derailed my plans for a webinar entitled: “Surviving and Thriving with Your Executive Sponsor.” I promised the registrants a quick make-up via podcast and transcript, and here it is. What it lacks in production quality, it makes up for in my sheer passion for this topic.

An effective executive sponsor is a critical component of success for strategic initiatives. Unfortunately, in many organizations, we are either over-extending or under-developing our executive sponsors. Additionally, confusion by all parties over the role and accountability of the sponsor contributes to project stress.

Fortunately, there are some straightforward approaches to mitigating some of this risk, starting with “chartering” the project manager: executive sponsor relationship and extending to defining the rules for communication. I share these ideas and more, along with a few battle scars in this 27-minute narrative. For those who want a printable version of the content and key ideas, please download the transcript.

While I regret missing out on the interaction of the webinar, I am pleased to share the insights and ideas in this format and would love your ideas on best practices via comments in this post.

Enjoy and use the ideas in great project success!

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