The Sponsor Brief

A sponsor who does not have a clear picture of what they are sponsoring, what blockers exist, and what they specifically need to do will fill the gap with their own assumptions — which may not match yours. The Sponsor Brief is the document that closes that gap. It is not a status report. It is not a slide deck. It is a two-page document that gives the sponsor everything they need to do their job effectively. Most initiative teams do not produce one. Then they wonder why their sponsor is misaligned.

SPONSOR BRIEF — [Initiative Name]
Prepared for: [Sponsor Name]
Date: [Date]

INITIATIVE SUMMARY (3 sentences max)
What we are doing: [description]
Why it matters to the business: [outcome]
Where we are in the process: [phase / status]

CURRENT BLOCKERS (requiring sponsor action)
Blocker 1: [description]
  Owner of blocker: [name / function]
  What we need from you: [specific ask]
  Timeline: [when does this need to be resolved?]

Blocker 2: [if applicable]

WHAT IS WORKING
[2-3 sentences on current progress and momentum]

SUCCESS DEFINITION
By [date], we will have achieved [specific, measurable outcome].
The sponsor's contribution to that outcome: [specific behaviors needed].

UPCOMING ASKS
[Month]: [specific thing we will need from sponsor]
[Month]: [specific thing we will need from sponsor]