A credible modern book about sponsorship needs four ingredients that are hard to find in a single individual:
1. An executive who has implemented sponsorship in the real world on a national scale (depth—Dawne)
2. A consultant who has worked with a variety of organizations of different sizes and industries to implement and refine sponsorship programs (breadth—Payson)
3. An academic who is familiar with recent literature and the evolving role of the project sponsor (book learnin’—Dawne)
4. Someone who can communicate ideas clearly and concisely in writing (at this point we both point nervously at one another and look at the ground)
Dawne and Payson bring a combined 80 years of work experience to this book project, our complementary background and skills combining (we hope) to bring you a unique and useful reference. Although we have known each other since meeting in the mid-1980s when Dawne was the IBM marketing representative to Payson’s start-up software development firm, our professional relationship blossomed 10 years later when Dawne was an executive for a multinational project-based organization where Payson’s consulting firm was hired to teach project management and sponsorship.
Dawne has walked the talk. She built a PMO and served on the executive team of an organization for which effective project management and sponsorship were vital strategic disciplines. Over the course of 7 years, she introduced and sustained continuous improvement of project management standards and sponsorship practices. Retiring in 2012 to complete her doctorate in Organization and Management with an emphasis on project management, she complemented her advanced studies with practical experience of someone who has been there and done that.
Payson Hall began his project management career working on software development and later large-scale systems integration projects where profitability and project management are inseparable. Payson started a project management consulting and training company in 1991 that became Catalysis Group in 1993. Over the past 25 years Payson has helped a variety of public and private sector organizations improve their project management and sponsorship practices.
Troubled by the scarcity of material on how to improve the effectiveness of project sponsorship, Dawne was passionate about developing practical guidance that was actionable. This book project was born from a conversation between Dawne and Tim Kloppenborg in 2015, in which Tim suggested Dawne write her own book, combining her academic research and her real-world experience. When Dawne mentioned the project to Payson over lunch in the summer of 2015, he begged her to let him participate, firmly believing that sponsorship is the vital, underappreciated cornerstone of improving project management practice, and knowing that there was not much practical material about the subject in print.
Writing a book is hard work. We are pleased to say that our friendship has survived this collaboration, driven by our passion for the subject. We hope that you find the results helpful.