Get Your Projects Approved By Showing Management How They Support Their Strategic Plans

It is becoming more and more important for senior management to support the projects, plans and goals of a group, and it is up to the team leader or department head to gain that support. However, in over 10 years of work with change managers, convincing senior management to approve a proposal continues to be a main source of frustration among group managers.

To try to better understand what senior management needs to support a project, I asked a number of vice presidents and executive vice presidents from both the private and public sector for their advice. Below are two areas I found are often overlooked. By focusing on them, your chances of gaining executive support will be greatly improved.

Expecting Instant Support

Many executives were frustrated with team leaders who erroneously believe that one proposal should be enough to gain senior level support. In truth, even when the initial proposal seems like a great idea, the support does not come instantaneously.

It can take 3 or 4 years to gain enough executive support to increase congressional funding according to one government agency executive I spoke with. While most corporate initiatives would never take so long, he used the example to emphasize that managers and team leaders must understand the strategic and long-term perspective senior management has on the organization. His suggestions for those seeking executive support are to:

1. give clear and understandable examples of how your project or proposal will become an asset for the entire organization.

2. Work closely with associates in other areas of the company. Find ways to combine priorities and goals into single initiatives in order the strengthen the benefit to the entire organization.

3. Preview your case with executives and stakeholders. Invite input. Make changes.

4. Make your pitch for funding only after you have taken the time to build support for your ideas.

Failing to Be Strategic

This is a crucial point when it comes to gaining support. Most executive teams have a vision for the future and a number of strategic goals in place to help the organization realize the vision. You are much more likely to gain support when you show how your team's plan will help to further the strategic goals. Doing this successfully means being able to read between the lines and understand what is important without waiting to be told what to do.

Exactly what can a team leader do to be strategic? I have found that senior management are looking for their group leaders to:

1. Understand the organization's overall priorities.

2. Proactively suggest how their team can help the organization achieve its goals.

Scott Eblin suggests in "The Next Level" that you spend time with executive management before approaching them with a proposal in order to identify how they define a successful initiative. They key to keep in mind, however, is that at this stage they are unlikely to provide a specific to-do list and ideas for achievement. Your goal is to listen to discover organization-wide priorities and constraints. Be a sponge in these conversations. Take it to your management and discuss it further. Then return to senior management with more concrete goals for your group and plans to achieve the goals. At all times, flexibility is key in order to provide for feedback from the executive team.

Gaining senior level support for an initiative that's close to your heart may seem impossible to achieve, but patience in building a case to the executives can bring success. The objective is to always keep in mind the overall goals of the organization and communicate clearly how your project will help to achieve those goals. Next thing you know, your team could become a critical component to a profitable and successful company.