a2B Change Management Framework® (a2BCMF®) - Step #2: Secure Sponsorship and Resources
- Peter F Gallagher
- Sep 13
- 4 min read
2nd Critical Organisational Change Implementation Step - Plan Phase
Secure Sponsorship and Resources:
Sponsorship: The sponsor is a senior executive who is responsible for delivering change success. They are accountable for the delivery of all ten-steps of the a2B Change Management Framework®.
Resources: The sponsor will need the support of a competent and motivated change team, a supportive CEO, the organisation’s leadership team and change agents to help them implement the change.
“Without effective and proactive sponsorship, the change programme will eventually fail, the change will not be adopted by the employees or sustained, and it will not deliver the intended benefits”
Business Benefits:
Sponsorship is the single most important factor in organisational change success. Without effective and proactive sponsorship, the organisation’s investment in its portfolio of change programme or projects will not provide a return on investment (ROI).
Business Objective:
The sponsor and the change resources will work with the stakeholders through the a2BCMF® to deliver the change benefits, ensuring both a ROI and the intended strategy are achieved.
The Importance of Sponsorship
Simply put, without a proactive and effective change sponsor, most change programmes or initiatives will fail to achieve the targeted objectives. To be effective, the sponsor will need to have a good team behind them. That team will need to be dedicated, motivated, have a strong understanding of people, and have change and communication skills. Strategic organisational change capacity is not something that most organisations have in abundance. Without even considering the competing forces from other change or improvement initiatives, it will be difficult to get enough competent or motivated resources. However, accepting a resource that is available could be more problematic than you might think. As with all change programmes and general projects, they are a temporary endeavour, and acquiring and developing the sponsor and change resources is a critical success factor.
a2B Change Management Framework® (a2BCMF®)
The a2B Change Management Framework® (a2BCMF®) is a structured and disciplined approach to support organisations, leadership teams and individuals going through a change, the transition from the current ‘a’ state to the improved future ‘B’ state. The a2BCMF® has three phases and ten key process steps. Each phase provides change strategies, principles, analysis and tactics to move from one phase to the next.
The framework is based on over thirty years of international change experience and brings together leading practice in change, people and programme management. The structured programme approach, processes, techniques and tools focus on overcoming the failures of previous change by incorporating ten key steps and success elements for achieving organisational change. It is grounded in systems thinking, ensuring that interdependencies, feedback loops, and unintended consequences are recognised and addressed across the organisation.
It supports strategic change implementation in terms of context, content and process. The framework is a comprehensive management model that allows executives, managers and change practitioners to successfully deliver and achieve organisational change. It requires a holistic approach and some steps can be performed simultaneously. It also recognises the importance of network presence, the visible, relational influence leaders and managers hold across formal and informal structures, as a driver of adoption and sustained change.
Find out more:
Further Reading: Change Management Handbook - Leadership of Change Volume 3
Peter consults, speaks, and writes on the Leadership of Change®.
He works exclusively with boards, CEOs, and senior leadership teams to prepare and align them to effectively and proactively lead their organisations through change and transformation.
For insights on navigating organisational change, feel free to reach out at Peter.gallagher@a2B.consulting or schedule a free consultation
Peter F. Gallagher is a leadership guru, change management global thought leader, organisational change authority, international corporate conference speaker, 15X author, and C-level change leadership coach.
Listed #1 by leadersHum Top 40 Change Management Gurus You Should Follow in 2022 (Mar 2022).
Ranked #1 Change Management Global Thought Leader: Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Change Management (2025-2024-2023-2022-2021-2020) by Thinkers360.
Listed #15 in the “Top 30” for Global Gurus Leadership (2024) by Global Gurus.
Ranked #1 Business Strategy Global Thought Leader: Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Business Strategy (2022) by Thinkers360.
Ranked #6 Leadership Global Thought Leader: Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Leadership (April 2024) by Thinkers360.
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