Step B:
Identify Ownership and Executive Sponsor
Version 1.5, December 2006
1. Step Description and Purpose
The Identify Ownership and Executive Sponsor step
is intended to obtain a wide understanding from the business area leadership as
to the process and time commitment for performing the transformation planning
and then to select the official Executive Sponsor for the study and formulate a
specific purpose for the study being completed.
It is important that the leadership understand the breadth of the study
and to jointly formulate a purpose for the study so that when the study is
conducted, the core team and the chosen Executive Sponsor have a clear
indication of what is expected and the mindset of the business area’s
leadership at the time of project inception.
It is important to note that this entire Step can be accomplished in a
single day, facilitated workshop with the business area leadership.
2. Activities within this Step
The table below provides a quick reference for the activities within this step.
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CTRL + click the activities for
activity details -> |
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Inputs (source) |
Record of Decision for Business Area to Blueprint (Step A) MBT Project Plan Template (MBT Toolkit) |
Record of Decision for Business Area to Blueprint (Step A) |
MBT Training Materials (MBT Toolkit) |
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Outputs |
None |
None |
None |
Blueprint Purpose Statement |
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Who |
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Business Area Leaders [R] |
Business Area Leaders [I] |
Business Area Leaders [R] Executive Sponsor [R] |
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Duration (calendar
days for an average project based on past projects) |
5 days |
5 days |
5 days |
5 days |
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Complexity |
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Keys to Success: Make the most of your time with the business leadership by complete this entire step in one workshop. This ensures that you can move to the next step in a timely manner without additional workshops. |
3. Activity Details
Activity 1 – Communicate to leadership the projected time and resource commitments for the study
Activity Short Description:
In previous studies that have produced Modernization Blueprints, the core team and Executive Sponsors have sometimes been surprised by the amount of time that they need to commit to this endeavor. Over time, the time commitments have become more broadly understood but it is still a wise idea to formally meet with the leadership of the business area to communicate how their resources will be used in this study. This activity is focused on doing just that. It should be noted that the time commitment and resource commitments will fluctuate based on the nature of the business area and the projected issues within the business area. A very large or highly complex business area will require more time and resources.
Activity Tasks:
1. Provide the business area leadership with a brief overview of the record of decision from Step A and, if necessary, the prioritization process from Step A.
2. Provide the business area leadership with a brief overview of the MBT including, most importantly, the breadth of areas typically studied by the MBT.
3. Provide the business area leadership with an overview of other business areas using the MBT to perform transformation planning to share their experiences and help set expectations relative to time commitments.
4. Use the MBT Project Plan Template from the MBT Toolkit in order to communicate the level of resource commitment they can expect throughout their transformation study.
Activity Communications
Considerations:
This activity is not about explaining enterprise architecture or the virtues of the MBT. This activity is about explaining that there will be a structured planning process that will require time from certain key resources and to explain how much time can be anticipated to be necessary for a successful project.
Activity Work Products and Templates:
None
Activity 2 – Reach a decision on who will be the Executive Sponsor for the study
Activity Short Description:
Once the business area leadership has a high level understanding of the planning concept and resource commitments then they are ready to discuss the selection of an Executive Sponsor. An Executive Sponsor should be just that – an executive who is willing to sponsor and champion the concept of transformation within the business area. The Executive Sponsor will be a visionary leader for the core team and will play a key ultimate decision making role in determining the direction and scope of the Blueprint findings and recommendations. There is no science to selecting the Executive Sponsor however an informal nomination process followed by a silent vote is generally a good approach. The Executive Sponsor can be at any level within the organization but should be in a position of leadership for all of the participants on the Core Team.
Activity Tasks:
1. Facilitate a brainstorming exercise to list potential Executive Sponsors. List these potentials on a white board and list who “nominated” each person.
2. After the brainstorming has run its course, have each “nominator” speak to the pros and cons of the person that was nominated.
3. Allow the leadership to submit soft vetoes. Although there is no real official veto authority, allow the leadership to discuss nominees that they strongly do not agree with having as the Executive Sponsor.
4. Conduct a silent vote, tally the results, and inform the leadership.
5. Allow for any additional comments on the voting results and then declare the voting final.
Communications Considerations:
In scenarios where multiple organizations are represented, it is a good idea to have a person that can transcend differences of opinion between organizations. Having a dominant person that takes the position of one organization or another is not a good idea. Communicate this concept to the leadership and let them know that the Executive Sponsor needs to unite, not divide.
Activity Work Products and Templates:
None
Activity 3 - Perform
a more detailed training session for the leadership
Activity Short Description:
In Activity 1, you provided the leadership with an
overview of the MBT and the time commitments for performing a successful
transformation study. Activity 3 is
focused on providing a more detailed training session on the approach and what
they can expect over the next several months.
Where the informational aspect of Activity 1 could have taken 30
minutes, Activity 3 could take a couple of hours.
Activity Tasks:
1.
Leverage the MBT Training Materials from the MBT
Toolkit in order to tailor a succinct presentation that will provide a more
detailed overview of each of the Steps for creating a Modernization Blueprint.
2. Perform the training over the course of a
couple of hours. Do not make the
training longer than 2 hours or shorter than 1 hour. Provide the leadership with URLs, phone
numbers, and email addresses for key contacts should then have additional
questions or concerns.
3. Answer any questions that they might have.
Activity Communications Considerations:
This activity is not about getting the leadership trained as MBT practitioners. This activity is about providing a more detailed appreciation for the breadth and rigor of the MBT related analysis. This should provide them with a better understanding of what their resources will be doing and they types of findings and recommendations that they can expect.
Activity Work Products and Templates:
None
Activity 4 - Develop purpose statement for the Blueprint
Activity Short Description:
Before the leadership disbands back to their organizations and leaves the steering of the study to the Executive Sponsor, it is critical that the leadership formulate their intent for the transformation planning process. This “purpose statement” serves to communicate to the MBT participants the reason why the Blueprint is being created. In some cases this can a high level statement of principles. In other cases this can be a more detailed listing of objectives and expected areas to consider. This is the leadership’s opportunity to put a stake in the ground about why this Blueprint is important and what its intended purpose is for the business area.
Activity Tasks:
1. Facilitate a brainstorming session where the leadership provides expectations, outcomes, principles, needs, and other statements or words that might lead to the purpose of the Blueprint.
2. Let the leadership then take turns trying to formulate those brainstormed concepts into a sentence or a few sentences that articulates a meaningful purpose for this study.
3. Once there is unanimous support for a meaningful purpose statement, declare it official by pasting into the Blueprint Purpose Statement template and having the leadership sign the document.
Activity Communications Considerations:
Without consensus as to purpose at the top leadership levels, the MBT participants will struggle in their direction. Although there will be an Executive Sponsor throughout the process, the MBT participants need to see their organization’s leader signed in agreement to purpose statement. Maintain focus on the visionary benefits of this work product and encourage the leadership to produce something meaningful and clear.
Activity Work Products and Templates:
Blueprint Purpose Statement: This is the template that captures the leadership’s unanimous thoughts on what purpose the Blueprint should serve for the business area. This template has signature lines for each of the business area leaders whose organizations are participating in the study.
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TEMPLATE: Link to Blueprint
Purpose Statement (MS Word format)
4. Step References
Not Applicable.