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Now more than ever team leaders and project directors need the support of senior management to make a success of their projects at work. Yet, in my work in change management over the past ten years, I have found that persuading executives to support an initiative continues to be one of the biggest areas of concern for group managers.
I talked with a number of senior managers in a wide range of public and private organizations in order to find out what my clients could do better to gain their support on a project. I learned there are two things often ignored by team leaders in their presentations. If you are able to incorporate these areas into your proposals, the chance that senior management will support your initiative will be much greater.
Expecting Instant Support
A number of the senior managers I talked to indicated that project directors often believe that if their initial proposal is good enough the executive team will immediately agree and support it. Unfortunately it is more often the case that executive support is created gradually over time.
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. Build a case that shows how your idea will benefit the entire organization.
2. Work with co-workers in other departments and groups. Try to find ways to incorporate your goals with the goals of other teams in order to make the best use of company resources.
3. Talk in advance of your proposal to senior management and other stakeholders in the organization. Listen to their ideas and advice. Be willing to change your proposal based on their feedback.
4. Wait to present your proposal until after you have built a strong case and obtained initial support for your ideas.
Failing to Be Strategic
This is one area that cannot be ignored if you want your proposals to gain serious senior support. Executives of most organizations have developed strategic goals for achieving the organization's vision for the future. If you are able to clearly communicate how your proposal will help to achieve those goals your chances of gaining their support will increase substantially. In order to be successful at this, you cannot wait to be told what senior management deems important, but rather proactively analyze their vision for the future and strategic goals to determine what those important items are.
Exactly what can a team leader do to be strategic? I have found that senior management are looking for their group leaders to:
1. Understand the company's main goals.
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.
Gaining senior level support for an initiative that's close to your heart may seem impossible to achieve, but patience in building a case to the executives can bring success. The objective is to always keep in mind the overall goals of the organization and communicate clearly how your project will help to achieve those goals. Next thing you know, your team could become a critical component to a profitable and successful company.
I talked with a number of senior managers in a wide range of public and private organizations in order to find out what my clients could do better to gain their support on a project. I learned there are two things often ignored by team leaders in their presentations. If you are able to incorporate these areas into your proposals, the chance that senior management will support your initiative will be much greater.
Expecting Instant Support
A number of the senior managers I talked to indicated that project directors often believe that if their initial proposal is good enough the executive team will immediately agree and support it. Unfortunately it is more often the case that executive support is created gradually over time.
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. Build a case that shows how your idea will benefit the entire organization.
2. Work with co-workers in other departments and groups. Try to find ways to incorporate your goals with the goals of other teams in order to make the best use of company resources.
3. Talk in advance of your proposal to senior management and other stakeholders in the organization. Listen to their ideas and advice. Be willing to change your proposal based on their feedback.
4. Wait to present your proposal until after you have built a strong case and obtained initial support for your ideas.
Failing to Be Strategic
This is one area that cannot be ignored if you want your proposals to gain serious senior support. Executives of most organizations have developed strategic goals for achieving the organization's vision for the future. If you are able to clearly communicate how your proposal will help to achieve those goals your chances of gaining their support will increase substantially. In order to be successful at this, you cannot wait to be told what senior management deems important, but rather proactively analyze their vision for the future and strategic goals to determine what those important items are.
Exactly what can a team leader do to be strategic? I have found that senior management are looking for their group leaders to:
1. Understand the company's main goals.
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.
Gaining senior level support for an initiative that's close to your heart may seem impossible to achieve, but patience in building a case to the executives can bring success. The objective is to always keep in mind the overall goals of the organization and communicate clearly how your project will help to achieve those goals. Next thing you know, your team could become a critical component to a profitable and successful company.
About the Author:
Wendy Mack is a experienced mentor, 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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