3 tips for managing your sponsors

Peter Drucker once wrote: “The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer.” The same rule applies when each of us contribute to an organisation. Whether we work as a freelancer or as a full-time employee, our role is to satisfy our sponsors - the people who can hire or fire us. Some people forget this rule and become institutionalised. They stop taking initiatives and wait to be ‘managed’. Many of today’s businesses, however, want people who are positive, proactive and professional. Let’s explore how you can manage your sponsors. This calls for taking responsibility, reassuring them and delivering results.

* You can take responsibility.

“I want people to step forward,” said one leader. “I want them: a) To understand our goals: b) To say how they want to contribute: c) To deliver on their promises. Too many people sit waiting for me to dish out the jobs. That may have worked in the past, but now I want self-managing people who take initiatives. This frees me up to take a more strategic role in shaping the business.”

Writing in the 1980s, Peter Drucker predicted the need for people to behave like ‘volunteers’ in organisations. This calls for three things. a) For the leaders to provide a compelling vision; b) For the individuals to ‘opt-in’ and behave likes volunteers, rather than victims; c) For the organisation to provide the support that people need to achieve the vision. This may or may not happen in your organisation, but taking initiatives plays a crucial part in satisfying your sponsor. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to take responsibility are:

*

* You can reassure your sponsors.

Sponsors worry. They go to bed at night worrying about hitting the numbers, satisfying their bosses, improving service quality, getting the right people and staying out of trouble. Similarly, their bosses are under pressure from the banks, stock market or other outside forces. Your job is to reassure them. Never say: “Trust me.” That is like a red flag to a bull.

Show sponsors that you understand the business. Make clear contracts about your contribution, keep them informed and deliver early successes. Sponsors do not like nasty surprises. So manage their expectations. Be honest, especially when faced by potential crises. Show you have considered the possible ways forward, the respective consequences and, where appropriate, give your recommendations. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to reassure my sponsors are:

*

* You can deliver results.

“Football is a results business,” said one leading manager. “I can talk a good game with the press, but I must deliver results on the field. Otherwise I will get sacked.”

Sponsors will judge you by your results. This calls for doing three things. First, being crystal clear on what you must deliver. Second, doing superb work and delivering the goods. Third, going that extra mile and producing something special. The final point is vital. People buy people and, in the future, they will remember if you gave them great service. Taking these steps will enable you to create and keep customers. Try completing the following sentences.

The specific things I can do to deliver results to my sponsors are:

*

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