I really appreciate the recent posts about tackling problems with Project Sponsorship and the wider management team. Your responses have been really helpful, as I am having a very similar problem right now.
I don’t want to make this an SMT-bashing affair, yet I do have some pretty enraging issues with my leadership team.
We are a luxury homeware product company. We have needed a new CRM system for many years as the current one is useless for our marketing and production teams’ needs.
We are getting left behind in every area of business right now by new alternatives, and understandably, our leadership team has some risk aversion around capital investment in projects.
But the CRM project I managed to get green-lit as a PM last year is running into major deep water simply because I cannot get a single decision out of the SMT. Not even one!
I think things were ok when we were at the requirements gathering and Request-for-Proposals stage with suppliers. The Business Case that had already been signed off had very stringent terms regarding quarterly budget reviews and approved spending, but I thought everyone was behind the real need to change and to introduce a CRM that really could revolutionise our sales and marketing strategies.
And I’m not even going to tell you about the five-month process to get our vendor approved and through our super-painful contracting process.
But ever since our vendor was selected and shared their plan for the project, everything has ground to a halt.
I have had to write papers with options about how workshops will be managed that remain unreviewed by the management team – and apparently this prevents us running workshops. The workshops would have been completed by now if they had been given a go-ahead by our Sponsor.
In reaction to the impasse, our vendor stated they could lengthen the project timeline and focus on another client this quarter, yet they would need a minor retainer and re-commitment to the new plan. Another paper written and sent up without any response.
For three consecutive reports, on the advice of my vendor and internal team, I have sent RED status reports up stating that we run the risk of losing our vendor altogether and having to pause or rerun procurement. Again, no response except a holding line that the reports had been reviewed and seen as priority for a response.
I even staged a meeting with my Sponsor and the Head of Marketing who is facing some eye watering problems with our marketing lists using the current CRM. Yet I was looked upon like I was The Girl that Cried Wolf. My Sponsor simply did not see the urgency. “We have been managing this issue, and projects take time. I do not see the risk here and cannot magically accelerate our project to completion next month.” What he said, quote unquote.
I desperately need some help as I really see the failure of the project nearby, and I don’t want to drop forever what should be seen as an answer to our problems.
Help me Savi!
Desperately seeking decisions