Introduction: why this action matters for adoption
Change sponsors are not simply approvers of budget, scope, or governance. They give the change legitimacy, make trade-offs, remove barriers, and signal whether the organization is serious about the new way of working. PMI’s research identifies actively engaged executive sponsors as a top driver of project success and also finds that ineffective communication and lack of sponsor development can limit sponsor effectiveness [PMI, 2014]. (pmi.org)
This action is a capability-building and coaching intervention. The change manager helps sponsors understand what they need to do, when they need to do it, and what they need to say so that impacted groups receive consistent, credible, adoption-focused leadership. Prosci describes effective sponsors as active and visible, able to build coalitions, and able to communicate directly with employees [Prosci, 2026a]. (prosci.com)
What this action is and when to use it
This action involves giving sponsors a practical roadmap of sponsor activities and preparing them to deliver key messages in real situations. It usually takes the form of short one-on-one coaching sessions, sponsor coalition briefings, message rehearsal, feedback after leader interactions, and structured preparation before major change moments.
Use it when the change is visible, cross-functional, politically sensitive, likely to trigger resistance, or dependent on behavior change in multiple teams. It is especially useful when sponsors are supportive but unsure what “good sponsorship” looks like. It is also useful when sponsors are overextended, because a roadmap helps focus their time on the few activities that only they can perform [PMI, 2014]. (pmi.org)
Do not use coaching as a substitute for real sponsor commitment. If a sponsor fundamentally disagrees with the change, start with alignment and decision conversations before preparing messages. Coaching helps sponsors act effectively; it does not manufacture executive ownership.
Preparation: inputs, stakeholders, materials, timing, and decisions needed
Before coaching sponsors, gather the business case, change impacts, stakeholder analysis, adoption risks, project milestones, readiness data, and known resistance themes. The sponsor roadmap should connect to the actual project timeline, not sit beside it as a communications calendar. Prosci positions sponsor plans, communications plans, training plans, and resistance management plans as role-based and activity-based change plans that support adoption [Prosci, 2026a]. (prosci.com)
Clarify who is involved. The primary sponsor owns the overall change story and executive alignment. Sponsor coalition members translate sponsorship into their own functions. People managers confirm personal impact and coach employees through the transition; Gallup also emphasizes that change communication should provide the right information at the right time from the right level of the organization [Gallup, 2020]. (gallup.com)
Prepare simple materials: a one-page sponsor role brief, a sponsor activity roadmap, a stakeholder heat map, a key message outline, likely employee questions, and a feedback log. CIPD notes that coaching should be linked to organizational and individual goals, delivered with appropriate skill, and evaluated rather than treated as a cure-all [CIPD, 2025]. (cipd.org)
Step-by-step facilitation guide
Contract with the sponsor. In a 30-minute conversation, agree the purpose of coaching, the sponsor’s role, confidentiality boundaries, and the decisions the sponsor must personally own. Ask, “What do you need employees to believe, do, and keep doing for this change to succeed?”
Diagnose sponsor readiness. Discuss the sponsor’s understanding of the change, personal commitment, likely objections, stakeholder relationships, and time constraints. PMI found that sponsors need regular feedback and development to perform effectively, so treat this as a capability conversation, not a compliance check [PMI, 2014]. (pmi.org)
Build the sponsor roadmap. Map sponsor activities by phase: align leaders early, launch the change story, reinforce manager readiness, remove barriers during implementation, and recognize adoption after go-live. McKinsey’s influence model is useful here: sponsor actions should support role modeling, understanding and conviction, reinforcement, and skill development [McKinsey, 2015]. (mckinsey.com)
Prepare key messages. Draft messages around why the change is needed, what is changing and not changing, what impacted groups need to do, what support is available, and how feedback will be handled. Gallup advises that early change messages should address the end goal and personal impact, while implementation-stage messages should explain steps, roles, and how employees can help [Gallup, 2020]. (gallup.com)
Rehearse real moments. Practice a town hall opening, a senior-leader peer conversation, a manager briefing, and a difficult Q&A. Give feedback on clarity, credibility, empathy, and whether the sponsor is asking for specific adoption behaviors rather than giving vague encouragement.
Activate the coalition. Help the primary sponsor brief coalition members so that leaders in each impacted area can repeat the core story and tailor local implications. Prosci notes that complex changes often need a sponsor coalition across business groups, not a single sponsor acting alone [Prosci, 2026b]. (prosci.com)
Close the loop. After each sponsor activity, capture what questions came up, what resistance emerged, what decisions are needed, and what message must be clarified. Use the feedback to update the roadmap and prepare the next sponsor action.
Example: how this could be applied in a real change initiative
A company is implementing a new customer relationship management platform that changes sales processes, reporting routines, and manager coaching habits. The primary sponsor is the Chief Revenue Officer. The change manager creates a 12-week sponsor roadmap. In weeks 1–2, the sponsor aligns regional VPs on why the change supports revenue visibility and customer handoffs. In weeks 3–4, the sponsor records a short launch message and hosts a VP briefing. During training, the sponsor attends manager sessions to reinforce expectations and remove barriers, such as conflicting reporting requests. After go-live, the sponsor reviews adoption dashboards, recognizes teams using the new process, and asks resistant regions what support they need.
The key messages are tailored. Executives hear the strategic case and benefits. Sales managers hear what coaching routines must change. Sales representatives hear what will be easier, what will be monitored, and where to get help. This respects the principle that different audiences need different information from different senders [Gallup, 2020; Prosci, 2026a]. (gallup.com)
Roles and responsibilities
Role | Responsibility |
Change manager | Coach the sponsor, prepare the roadmap, draft and test messages, monitor feedback and adoption indicators. |
Primary sponsor | Own the change story, align senior leaders, make decisions, remove barriers, and model the expected behavior. |
Sponsor coalition members | Translate the core message for their area, reinforce expectations, and escalate risks. |
People managers | Explain personal impact, answer team questions, coach employees, and report resistance themes. |
Project lead | Provide milestones, solution details, risks, and decisions needed from sponsors. |
Prosci distinguishes sponsors and people managers as employee-facing roles, while change practitioners enable those roles behind the scenes [Prosci, 2026a]. (prosci.com)
Common mistakes to avoid
A frequent mistake is treating the sponsor as a broadcaster rather than an adoption leader. Another is writing generic talking points that do not address what people must do differently. Sponsors also lose credibility when they appear only at launch and disappear during implementation. PMI’s findings on sponsor overextension are a useful warning: do not ask sponsors to attend everything; focus them on moments where authority, influence, or barrier removal is required [PMI, 2014]. (pmi.org)
Avoid bypassing managers. Sponsors should explain the business case and commitment, but managers usually need to handle personal impact, local workflow questions, and resistance. Finally, do not over-script sponsors. A message outline is better than a speech if it helps the sponsor sound authentic while staying aligned.
Measures of success or adoption indicators
Measure whether the action improves sponsor behavior and adoption conditions. Useful indicators include completion of planned sponsor activities, sponsor confidence before and after coaching, quality of messages tested against likely employee questions, coalition alignment, manager readiness, speed of barrier removal, volume and type of resistance themes, attendance and engagement in sponsor-led sessions, employee understanding of why the change is happening, and adoption metrics such as usage, proficiency, compliance, or process quality.
PMI notes that organizations with processes for collecting information on sponsor effectiveness report better project outcomes, and CIPD emphasizes evaluation and quality assurance in coaching arrangements [PMI, 2014; CIPD, 2025]. (pmi.org)
Checklist for the change manager
Before coaching the sponsor, confirm that you have:
A clear change story linked to business outcomes.
A stakeholder and impact assessment.
A named primary sponsor and sponsor coalition.
A phase-based sponsor roadmap.
Draft key messages for each major impacted group.
Likely questions and resistance themes.
A plan for manager enablement.
A feedback loop after sponsor activities.
Adoption indicators that show whether messages and sponsor actions are working.
Optional reusable template: sponsor roadmap and message outline
Phase | Sponsor activity | Key message focus | Feedback to capture |
Prepare | Align senior leaders and confirm sponsorship roles | Why now, why this matters, what success requires | Leader concerns, unresolved decisions |
Launch | Communicate directly to impacted groups | Business case, future state, what changes and what does not | Questions, misunderstanding, visible resistance |
Implement | Join manager briefings and remove barriers | What people need to do, available support, priority trade-offs | Process blockers, training gaps, capacity issues |
Reinforce | Recognize adoption and address gaps | Progress, wins, consequences of reverting, next steps | Adoption data, sustainment risks |
Message outline for sponsors: “We are making this change because… The outcome we need is… This means the following will change… The following will not change… I know this may raise concerns about… We will support you by… What I need from leaders and teams now is… Here is how we will listen and respond…”
References
Prosci. “Core Roles in Change Management.” Published May 20, 2020; updated May 1, 2026. https://www.prosci.com/blog/core-roles-in-change-management
Prosci. “5 Ways to Help Sponsors Build a Coalition of Support for Change.” Published May 11, 2022; updated April 22, 2026. https://www.prosci.com/blog/5-ways-to-help-sponsors-build-a-coalition-of-support-for-change
Project Management Institute. “Executive Sponsor Engagement: Top Driver of Project and Program Success.” October 2014. https://www.pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/pulse/top-driver-project-program-success
Gallup. “Proven Change Management Principles: How to Effectively Initiate It.” July 15, 2020. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/315602/proven-change-management-principles-effectively-initiate.aspx
CIPD. “Coaching and mentoring.” Factsheet. August 11, 2025. https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/coaching-mentoring-factsheet/
McKinsey & Company. “The science of organizational transformations.” September 1, 2015. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-science-of-organizational-transformations
Grant, Anthony M. “The Efficacy of Executive Coaching in Times of Organizational Change.” Journal of Change Management, 2014. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14697017.2013.805159