I was tangentially involved in an online conversation about project sponsorship this week.

The observation was that there are sponsors everywhere, but nary a business owner to be seen. As project managers and believers, we look around for a “Sponsor” of our project, to help us navigate the slippery world of organizational success.

Sponsors help us drop names when we hit roadblocks; they unlock doors, drive forward progress etc. etc. Except, they don’t, because they have no skin in the game. They exec sponsor a whole bunch of projects as figureheads. The projects are not theirs!

We need business owners to stand in their power and proclaim their needs, and project managers can get on with their work.

Alternatively, well, I like the idea of self-sponsorship. If the budget line is mine, if I have signing authority, if I think I can do the work, and achieve the win – sure, I’m the sponsor, who’s got a problem with that? #SkinInTheGameYo!

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