Senior level support of an initiative is always a key goal of any group manager or project director, in order to ensure success of a project. Therefore, I am not surprised that in my work over the past decade with change managers, gaining executive support continues to stay at the top of the list of concerns these managers have with their work.
To try to better understand what senior management needs to support a project, I asked a number of vice presidents and executive vice presidents from both the private and public sector for their advice. Below are two areas I found are often overlooked. By focusing on them, your chances of gaining executive support will be greatly improved.
Looking For Instant Support
According to several executives I interviewed, team leaders and function heads often mistakenly conclude that one brilliant pitch is enough to gain agreement and buy-in. The reality is that support doesn't happen overnight.
It can take 3 or 4 years to gain enough executive support to increase congressional funding according to one government agency executive I spoke with. While most corporate initiatives would never take so long, he used the example to emphasize that managers and team leaders must understand the strategic and long-term perspective senior management has on the organization. His suggestions for those seeking executive support are to:
1. State clearly the ways that the entire organization will benefit from your plan.
2. Work closely with associates in other areas of the company. Find ways to combine priorities and goals into single initiatives in order the strengthen the benefit to the entire organization.
3. Invite senior management to preview your ideas. Ask for their advice as to how you can best fit your ideas into the overall goals of the company. Be flexible and willing to make changes based on their feedback.
4. Make your pitch for funding only after you have taken the time to build support for your ideas.
Failing to Be Strategic
When it comes to gaining support, this is a critical component. In most companies, senior management have developed a vision for the years to come and have developed strategic goals to get there. Support for your proposal will be more likely if you can show how it fits in with those strategic goals. To achieve this, you need to be proactive in finding out what the organization wants to achieve strategically rather than waiting for someone to tell you.
What does it mean to be strategic? In my experience, executives want their directors to:
1. Understand the organization's overall priorities.
2. Proactively suggest how their team can help the organization achieve its goals.
As Scott Eblin writes in "The Next Level", you need to spend time with your senior executives up front to ensure that you understand what success means to them. Remember, though, that at this level, you aren't likely to get specific goals and metrics. Listen for priorities, for key organization-wide metrics, and major barriers or obstacles. Absorb what you hear. Discuss it with your managers. Then come back to your executive with specific plans about what your group or function will do and how you will do it. Be prepared to make adjustments based on input from your executive team at this point.
Executive support for a project you feel strongly about may seem as though it is out of your reach, but if you are patient you will be able to build a case that senior management will understand. The key is to always stay focused on the overall strategic plans of the organization and to let senior management know how your project will help achieve those goals. Before you know it, your project could become a key factor in the success of the entire company!
To try to better understand what senior management needs to support a project, I asked a number of vice presidents and executive vice presidents from both the private and public sector for their advice. Below are two areas I found are often overlooked. By focusing on them, your chances of gaining executive support will be greatly improved.
Looking For Instant Support
According to several executives I interviewed, team leaders and function heads often mistakenly conclude that one brilliant pitch is enough to gain agreement and buy-in. The reality is that support doesn't happen overnight.
It can take 3 or 4 years to gain enough executive support to increase congressional funding according to one government agency executive I spoke with. While most corporate initiatives would never take so long, he used the example to emphasize that managers and team leaders must understand the strategic and long-term perspective senior management has on the organization. His suggestions for those seeking executive support are to:
1. State clearly the ways that the entire organization will benefit from your plan.
2. Work closely with associates in other areas of the company. Find ways to combine priorities and goals into single initiatives in order the strengthen the benefit to the entire organization.
3. Invite senior management to preview your ideas. Ask for their advice as to how you can best fit your ideas into the overall goals of the company. Be flexible and willing to make changes based on their feedback.
4. Make your pitch for funding only after you have taken the time to build support for your ideas.
Failing to Be Strategic
When it comes to gaining support, this is a critical component. In most companies, senior management have developed a vision for the years to come and have developed strategic goals to get there. Support for your proposal will be more likely if you can show how it fits in with those strategic goals. To achieve this, you need to be proactive in finding out what the organization wants to achieve strategically rather than waiting for someone to tell you.
What does it mean to be strategic? In my experience, executives want their directors to:
1. Understand the organization's overall priorities.
2. Proactively suggest how their team can help the organization achieve its goals.
As Scott Eblin writes in "The Next Level", you need to spend time with your senior executives up front to ensure that you understand what success means to them. Remember, though, that at this level, you aren't likely to get specific goals and metrics. Listen for priorities, for key organization-wide metrics, and major barriers or obstacles. Absorb what you hear. Discuss it with your managers. Then come back to your executive with specific plans about what your group or function will do and how you will do it. Be prepared to make adjustments based on input from your executive team at this point.
Executive support for a project you feel strongly about may seem as though it is out of your reach, but if you are patient you will be able to build a case that senior management will understand. The key is to always stay focused on the overall strategic plans of the organization and to let senior management know how your project will help achieve those goals. Before you know it, your project could become a key factor in the success of the entire company!
About the Author:
Wendy Mack is a experienced advisor, trainer, and author concentrating on leading and communicating change. Email or phone Wendy at, or get her free e-book, Transforming Anxiety into Energy at www.WendyMack.com.
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