The Executive Sponsor Is Crazy-Busy (But I Need Decisions Yesterday)

READ TIME - 5 MINUTES

"I need to reschedule our catch-up," says the message from Aisha's Executive Sponsor.

Through her office window, the February sun blazed as Aisha tried to make sense of her calendar - already a Tetris game of moving pieces and shifting priorities.

Her Exec Sponsor was absolutely lovely and one of the organisation's most effective executives - always delivering, always across the detail, just... incredibly time-poor.

With three major program decisions needing sign-off this week, Aisha needed to find a better way to work with her Sponsor's packed schedule.

"New year, new approach," she said, opening her notebook with fresh determination. "Time to level up how we do this."

As Peter Drucker famously said, "Time is the scarcest resource, and unless it is managed, nothing else can be managed."

If you're working with a time-poor Exec Sponsor (and let's face it, who isn't these days?), here are three strategies to keep your change program moving:

1. The "Micro-Meeting Strategy"

Transform how you use your sponsor's time by making every minute count.

How to do it:

  • Create 15-minute decision briefs with clear recommendations

  • Schedule early morning micro-meetings (I hate to say it but 7:30-7:45 am can work well)

  • Use voice messages for quick updates they can listen to between meetings

  • Draft "walking meeting" agendas for corridor conversations

  • Prepare 250-word or less "2-minute decision" briefs that need minimal context

  • Always include a clear "Recommendation" section, with one single, clear recommendation

Pro tip: Your sponsor's attention is like a summer long weekend - precious, rare, and you need to make the most of every moment.

2. The "Executive Support Network"

Build strong relationships with your sponsor's key support team - they're your pathway to success.

How to do it:

  • Connect with their Executive Assistant to understand schedule patterns

  • Brief their Executive Officer and Chief of Staff on upcoming program needs

  • Keep them updated on strategic implications

  • Go above and beyond to make it easy for these folks to advocate on your behalf

  • Provide clear, concise updates they can easily pass on

  • Respect their time as much as your Sponsor's

Pro tip: Your Sponsor's EA often knows more about their real priorities and pressure points than anyone else. Make them your ally.

3. The "Decision Velocity Framework"

Look, we both know not everything needs to hit your Sponsor's inbox.

Here's how to keep things flowing by being smart about what goes where.

How to do it:

  • Create a simple decision framework with your sponsor, including:

    • What needs their personal attention

    • What can be delegated to their direct report

    • What can proceed with assumed approval

  • Agree on escalation triggers and thresholds

  • Set up regular "batch processing" of decisions

  • Use a traffic light system for urgency

  • Maintain a visible log of decisions and their status

Pro tip: The best gift you can give a time-poor Sponsor is the confidence that you'll only bring them decisions that truly need their attention.

Having a busy Sponsor isn't a barrier - it's just a design challenge.

Your role isn't to compete for their time; it's to make the most of every minute they can give you.

Remember: The most successful change managers don't try to change how their sponsors work - they adapt their approach to work brilliantly within those constraints.

That's it for this week.

Next Tuesday we're diving into what happens when your Subject Matter Experts keep changing their story - don't miss it!

See you then,

Team EVER

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Kate Byrne