HBR Guide to Project Management (HBR Guide Series)

Chapter 2

The Cast of Characters

To meet your project objectives, you need the right people on board—and they must have a clear understanding of their roles. Here’s a breakdown of who does what.

Sponsor

The sponsor champions the project at the highest level in the company and gets rid of organizational obstructions. She should have the clout to communicate effectively with the CEO and key stakeholders, provide necessary resources, and approve or reject outcomes. It’s also important that she have “skin in the game”—in other words, accountability for the project’s performance.

Project Manager

The project manager identifies the central problem to solve and determines, with input from the sponsor and stakeholders, how to tackle it: what the project’s ...