Well, folks, after the last time I wrote about my interactions, here's the latest update. Finally, the project was kicked off with very little (if any) changes to the project charter. However, I must admit that my sponsor did give me an audience to explain the high-level view of the current process being followed. Also, during the meeting, we both (I & my sponsor) mutually agreed that we should be meeting at least twice a week to keep ourselves up-to-date & also maintain the pace & momentum of the project. It was also told to me that this project happens to be one of his 2 "top priority" projects. So, after that meeting, I met with a couple of his team members who are assigned to this project & obtained further details on what exactly happens & how it really happens. Based on these discussions, I sent him an e-mail updating him on what it is that I have been able to understand about the current process. Here's the conversation that ensued...
I: Hello sir. In order to understand the process, I met your team members X & Y respectively. I had discussions with my supervisor after that & came up with the below process flow. Pls let me know if my understanding is correct. Is this exactly how the process happens? Based on this, I would like to meet you & / or the person(s) responsible, to understand the intricacies of each of the processes involved so that we can start identifying the problems in our current process & work towards eliminating them. (I had attached the process flow as well).
Sponsor: Vinay, are you planning to run this project thro e-mails? We should have structured meetings to conduct this project.
I (replying to the above): Sir, I have been holding discussions with your team members X & Y to understand the process. I was going to bring you up to date on the progress during our meeting tomorrow, but, you declined the meeting scheduled for tomorrow as you are going to be on leave. Pls let me know how we should go about holding structured meetings when you have declined the meeting. Also, in our previous discussion in the presence of my supervisor, we had agreed that we'll meet twice a week - every Tuesday & Thursday. However, we have not been able to do that till now. I agree with you that it is extremely important to stick to our meeting schedules so that we do not end up exchanging e-mails alone. Look forward to hear your thoughts on the matter.
So, it looks like the battle lines are very clearly drawn before me by the time the project concludes.
Some of the popular jokes doing rounds about this sponsor go like this. I usually begin my e-mails to my sponsor with the words - Sir, thank you for your continued support to the project. If not in the beginning, I make sure that I at least end the mail with the above words. My colleagues, seeing this practice of mine, told me that I'm putting my sponsor into unnecessary confusion & undue pressure. When I asked why they think so, they said: "When you say - thank you for your continued support to the project, there can be few things that crosses your sponsor's mind.
- Was this mail meant for somebody else that it has landed in my inbox by mistake?
- Did I commit to any unreasonable / unrealistic stuff in the middle of something that this guy is thanking me for that? I now have to cross verify that I did not commit thru' an e-mail or in writing, although I may have committed verbally, as long as it was only he who was present. Verbal commitment can always be negated, as long as nobody else was present at that time.
- Looks like this guy is clearly out of his mind. He's thanking me for doing nothing. I like this guy.
- This guy is really cool. He thanks me even for farting. I think I have to start sponsoring more projects for this guy.
One of my colleagues e-mails this sponsor (a single sponsor normally sponsors multiple projects) regarding a project. Here's what transpired between them.
My colleague (referring to the project that was sponsored, in the subject of the e-mail): "?" (meaning - boss, whatever happened to the project? Are we ever going to move ahead?).
Sponsor: "????" (perhaps meaning - dude, what are you talking about? I don't understand. Do I know you?).
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