How to get executives on board when they say yes but act no
The most cited driver of change success is executive sponsorship. It is also the most frequently misunderstood. There is a significant difference between an executive who approves a change and one who actively leads it. Most sponsors sit somewhere in between, and knowing exactly where they are is the first step to closing the gap.
The Five Levels of Executive Sponsorship
Sponsorship is not binary. It exists on a spectrum. Most sponsors are not absent, they are somewhere in the middle, doing some things but not enough. Click any level to understand what it looks like, the risks it carries, and how to move a sponsor up.
Where Is Your Sponsor Right Now?
Answer these six questions honestly. The result will tell you which level your sponsor is operating at and what to focus on next.
Can the people affected by this change name the executive sponsor?
Has the sponsor communicated about the change in their own words?
Has the sponsor made a visible trade-off or decision to prioritise this change?
Does the sponsor intervene when the change hits blockers?
Has the sponsor changed their own behaviour to model what the change requires?
Does the sponsor hold their leadership peers accountable for supporting the change?
This topic is part of Direction, the first pillar of the TCA Change Model.