Connect to Strategic Objectives

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.  

To try to better understand what senior management needs to support a project, I asked a number of vice presidents and executive vice presidents from both the private and public sector for their advice.  By focusing on just two pieces of advice, your chances of gaining executive support will be greatly improved.  

Don’t Expect Immediate Support

According to several executives I interviewed, team leaders and function heads often mistakenly conclude that one brilliant pitch is enough to gain agreement and buy-in.  The reality is that support doesn’t happen overnight.  

One government agency executive I spoke with mentioned that it has taken three to four years to build enough support to gain an increase in congressional funding.  He used the example to illustrate the fact that managers need to take a more strategic and long-term perspective.  He suggested that managers looking for support should:

1.    Build a case that shows how your idea will benefit the entire organization.

2.    Explore your case with peers from other groups/units.  Look for ways to align priorities across multiple teams.

3.    Preview your case with executives and stakeholders.  Invite input.  Make changes.

4.    Make your pitch for funding only after you have taken the time to build support for your ideas.

Be Strategic

This is a crucial point when it comes to gaining support.  Most executive teams have a vision for the future and a number of strategic goals in place to help the organization realize the vision.   You are much more likely to gain support when you show how your team’s plan will help to further the strategic goals. Doing this successfully means being able to read between the lines and understand what is important without waiting to be told what to do.  

What does it mean to be strategic?  In my experience, executives want their directors to:

1. Understand the organization’s overall priorities.
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.  

Executive support for a project you feel strongly about may seem as though it is out of your reach, but if you are patient you will be able to build a case that senior management will understand.  The key is to always stay focused on the overall strategic plans of the organization and to let senior management know how your project will help achieve those goals.  Before you know it, your project could become a key factor in the success of the entire company!

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