I am not familiar with accelerated implementation methodology - maybe I will learn more about it as I am broadening my reach. (I’m about to start a Masters in OD this fall). Your comment about “a sponsor is someone who feels the pain when things don’t go as expected” ~ actually, let me reflect back to my time at a local social service agency, and further still to my first Basic Counselling Skills class. Actually, everyone feels some level of anxiety about change, roles and responsibilities, expectations - you get the picture - before they are even asked to do something.

I recall when I observed this in Basic Counselling class - that even the most ‘together’ people were riddled with anxiety. It was such an important lesson to me - that not only do I consider this for people as a baseline, but that I deal with them with compassion, patience and understanding. Then, as observe / dialogue / interact with them in an added role (say, a sponsor of a project or initiative), it actually helps me and them build a more solid relationship, that can help achieve goals.

As a sponsor of a project, you also have a lot on the line. It’s your reputation, your personal (and professional capital), resources and team of folks working alongside, and under you…it’s a heavy duty responsibility, and it’s likely to take some time before the glory is visible. I can certainly understand the trepidation that one must feel as a sponsor, even though it is probably left unsaid, except to one’s spouse or close confidant.

I can’t say that I recall Ernest Shackleton telling his men that he was feeling fear - but I sure as heck believe everyone knew it was present.

Thanks for writing this. In the last 2-3 years or so I have found myself in role of “sponsor” (who would have thought of such a thing?) and I can think of one project/initiative in particular that made me uncomfortable being in this role. The project was very valuable, that didn’t make me uncomfortable. My discomfort was that I couldn’t be the kind of sponsor you are talking about. I felt it best to watch and learn in this situation because I feared that I was too far away from the people working in the area to really help our members as a true “sponsor.”

Before I got into the sponsorship business, I learned in “accelerated implementation methodology” that one characteristic of a sponsor is someone who feels the pain when things don’t go as expected. I think this is the same as seeing/feeling the impact of what we do for members. I think it’s a great thing now to ask, “why do you want me to be a sponsor and how will I feel the impact of this project on our members?”

And Randy - great thought. I pioneered the first intra-organizational blog for our Informatics work about 2 years ago. At about 800 blog posts later, almost one every day, I think it makes a difference. Not every physician reads every post, but some physicians read some posts some days, and we in fact use it to celebrate the good times, discuss the not so good times, and ask about the “what do we do next?” times.

Best,

Ted

I think an important opportunity that is typically overlooked in many change efforts, is communication. That’s right, simple communication. Understand what people want to know about and what they care about and give it to them, not just in the ‘language’ that they’re asking for it, but also in the delivery mode / frequency. The types of changes that your describing here are really quite interesting, and if they were made available in ways that really fit where other people were at - even in the context of action research - you would be in a perfect place to figure out what’s next, and how you can facilitate them to the next-level insight, awareness, etc.

Just a thought…

- Randy