Getting your message across:

Project sponsors are busy people. Project sponsors are senior managers in a business and that means they could well be managing several projects at once. It’s not easy to juggle sponsoring multiple projects. Added to this is the likelihood that they won’t ask questions when they don’t understand something. Some senior managers are happy to admit that they don’t know or need clarification, but many would rather not confess that they don’t have a clue what you are talking about.
It’s up to project managers to make project sponsor’s lives as easy as possible. There are lots of communications tips to use when dealing with senior people. Here are some to try with your sponsor:
• Don’t use vague email subjects. What do you think is more likely to be read: ‘Project ABC news’ or ‘Project ABC within 2% budget’? If you label your emails in a way that makes it clear what the content is they are more likely to be read in a timely manner.
• Write short emails. Anything that requires scrolling down is too long. Use bullet points. Write your email and then give yourself the challenge of reducing the word count by 50%. It can be done!
• Use color. Use RAG (Red, Amber, and Green) statuses. You can put text in color and use cell fills in spreadsheets and tables. It does make a difference – sponsors will be able to see the red bits (the bits you want decisions on) quickly and will be reassured that everything else is going to plan if it is green.
• Don’t send files that the sponsors can’t open. Not everyone has Microsoft Project. There are alternative Gantt chart viewers available that can make your project plan more accessible to people without the software, like Seavus Project Viewer. And not everyone can understand a Gantt chart, so be careful what view you make available to sponsors. The day-to-day project team management view of 1200 lines is not the one to send to senior management! Roll the milestones up and change the calendar so they don’t have to scroll too much.
However, this works both ways, If your sponsor is too vague you need to find a way to get the information you require.
If you need to get information from your project sponsor, try some of these tips:
• Make an appointment. Some sponsors will be more than happy for you to knock on their door and interrupt. However, they might take this as an informal chat and not a formal project meeting. Other sponsors will require you to make an appointment. Get to know their preferences, and their PA. Don’t book an hour when you only need half an hour, and make sure that they know why you are coming. Email a brief agenda or the questions you have in advance, so they can prepare. This helps you get more out of the time and they won’t feel ambushed.
• Parrot it back. “Let me just paraphrase to see if I have understood.” Use this technique for your own benefit to ensure that you really have got the message.
• Clarify in writing. It’s not everyone’s favorite project management style, but sometimes you do need to clarify the outcome of a discussion in writing. It doesn’t have to be formal minutes. It will suffice to put a few sentences in an email to the sponsor summarizing the salient points. This is particularly useful if the sponsor has made a decision. You don’t need to send them a copy of your project decision log, but you could mention that you have recorded their decision in your project files.
• Ask if it’s convenient. If you ring the sponsor, check it is a suitable time to talk. You’ll get a better quality response if they aren’t just about to go in to a Board meeting. Actually, it is polite to ask anyone you have just rung up or dropped in on. Just because you have the time to speak doesn’t mean they do.
Project communications are challenging, but they are 80% of project management, so getting them right is essential. You can improve your communication skills with practice – whether you are a sponsor or a project manager – so keep working on them!