(LONDON, UK – Appended from “Building Sustainable Sponsorship” keynote address by Toby Ward, IBF LIVE 2006) 

In organizations with successful intranets, the intranet champion is a c-level executive. In other words, a senior executive that reports directly to the CEO. This could be the CIO, the CFO, the COO or perhaps the SVP for communications or human resources.

The greatest barrier to an intranet’s potential is politics. Technology and budget are secondary barriers. The intranet is a political football and you need an executive linebacker on your team.

Unfortunately, most intranets don’t grab the attention of executives. The intranet is left to middle managers in communications and IT with limited budget and power; conflict ensues and the intranet stalls – often for years.

If communications tries to take the leadership helm, other stakeholders are often suspicious of a ‘power play’. The same can be said for IT and HR. If budget allows, everyone respects an experienced and capable mediator. Ultimately, though, breaking this political limbo and ensuring enduring conflict resolution requires senior management support, intervention, and funding.

Tearing down the political barrier often requires an executive with the power to change. Sometimes this support can be coaxed and augmented by a third-party consultant with lots of expertise and no political axe to grind, but an arsenal full of best practices. But the buck stops at the c-level office suite.

Determining which executive makes the best champion in your organization depends on the executive and their power and influence within the ranks. Firstly, your executive champion should understand the value of the intranet and the potential it can deliver. Secondly, your executive champion needs to be involved. Not on a day-to-day basis, but when a decision needs to be made or funding is required. As far as a time commitment, your champion need only attend an occasional meeting (perhaps twice per year).

Often, executives don’t know much about intranets. In fact, most think of the intranet as a cost center. You need to educate them.

Education comes in the form of:

• Best practices and case studies (see Know the leaders and the competition)
• Employee research
• Business case with ROI

Developing a complete business case with all of the above will convince just about any executive of the need for a high value intranet. Most understand that it takes money to make money – and they want you to “show me the money.”

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