If you are a manager or leader, there will be times when you need to produce a business case for funding. When you present a business case, you are asking the organisation to commit to potentially huge amounts of initial, and possibly ongoing, funding.
So what are the common reasons why business cases get rejected?
- They fail to convincingly make the case for change. In other words, they don’t have a compelling enough answer to the question, “Why do we need to say yes?”
- They don’t represent good value for money or quite simply are not affordable.
- They are too complex and fail to get the key messages across clearly and concisely.
- They don’t demonstrate to decision makers that there is sufficient capability to project manage the case to successful completion.
- The benefits that will arise are poorly presented.
- They carry too high a level of risk or uncertainty.
- They are out of line with organisational priorities.
- They don’t have the support of all the stakeholders who are needed to make it happen.
The truth is that as a leader or manager you need to be able to create and present the case for resources compellingly, otherwise it is always going to be a struggle to delivers the results that you know you are really capable of delivering.
Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to become highly effective leaders and managers. He invites you to take advantage of his free audio e-course Leadership Success at www.goalsandachievements.co.uk