Critical Success Factor: Active and Visible Leadership

Research shows time and again that any major project runs a higher risk of failure if executive leadership is not actively and visibly championing your project. At FI$Cal, we achieve to continually engage leadership early and often.

Sponsor Role and Activities

1. Participate actively and visibly throughout the project

   The role of active and visible participation from the primary sponsor is very important for the FI$Cal Project, it is cited in research more frequently than any other sponsor activity as a key determinant of success. Studies show the following activities that characterize active and visible sponsorship:

   • Allocate the necessary resources and provide the necessary funding
   • Set expectations and establish clear objectives for the project
   • Hold the team accountable for results
   • Attend frequent project review meetings and actively review progress
   • Remove roadblocks and provide timely decisions on project issues
   • Be accessible to the project team; clear calendar when necessary to attend key events
   • Build support and enthusiasm for the change
   • Model the change through personal example and hands-on involvement
   • Provide unwavering support throughout the entire project
2. Build a coalition of sponsorship and manage resistance

   Participants in past studies used by FI$Cal stated the need for the primary sponsor to take a lead role in building the sponsorship coalition, including managing resistance from mid-level managers. Participants provided the following specific activities that FI$Cal leadership attempts to emulate:

   • Build a strong sponsor coalition for the change among key business leaders and stakeholders
   • Determine and communicate priorities between this change and other change projects
   • Establish alignment around the overall business direction and the objectives of this change; resolve conflicting operational objectives with other senior leaders and middle management
   • Ensure that a consistent message about the change is being communicated by managers
   • Recognize outstanding managers and manage resistance from those managers not supporting the change with their employees; enforce consequences for non-compliance
   • Manage the expectations of stakeholders and customers
3. Communicate directly with employees

   Communications with employees includes the following:

   • Build awareness with employees about why the change is being made (what created the need for this change)
   • Share the risk or costs if no change is made (be open and honest with these communications)
   • Show how this change aligns with the overall direction of the organization
   • Share the goals and personal expectations for this project
   • Empathize with employees regarding the difficulties and additional work that will be required during the transition
   • Recognize the good work that employees have done and stress the positive benefits of the future state
   • Celebrate successes with employees; be present and visible
   • Listen to employees and encourage feedback; be willing to answer the tough questions
   • Build excitement and enthusiasm around the change; show personal commitment
   • Be willing to communicate to employees repeatedly to reinforce the message

   The FI$Cal Project relies heavily upon its leadership and through active and visible participation the project has made great strides and will continue to grow and reach its goal of one integrated financial management system for the State of California.

* Findings from the 2009 edition of Prosci's Best Practices in Change Management benchmarking report

Other Critical Success Factors

• Disciplined Project Management
• Effective Change Management
• Re-Engineering Business Processes