By Chang Sanders, CF APMP
The world of proposal management can sometimes be tumultuous, where deadlines loom, and hours stretch endlessly. It’s easy to lose sight of gratitude for the profession, but also for the many invaluable colleagues and mentors who have helped me along the way. As I reflect on my proposal industry journey, marked by many long hours, and crazy deadlines, I am reminded of the invaluable piece of advice from a seasoned proposal professional mentor: the importance of flexibility, patience, and understanding when working with technical subject matter experts.
The proposal management process has many moving pieces and while there are standard processes involved, as proposal managers, we do not always consider the flexibility it requires with the people who are helping create and write custom content for the proposal. Many technical subject matter experts juggle their core responsibilities, along with their contributions to the proposal development process, as their regular work hours are dedicated to their primary responsibilities. This leaves them a very small window of availability, usually falling in the evenings or weekends. These demands require an understanding and accommodating approach from their proposal managers.
What does this advice look like in practice? It begins with a well-defined proposal management plan. Certain dates such as the Q&A date and the proposal submission date, are usually non-negotiable. However, the days in between your schedule of activities, such as scheduling a first draft review, or final draft review, consider moving those. Generally, this proposal management schedule is shared with the proposal team during the kickoff meeting. The dates are presented on a calendar format where the team can see visually where the dates fall. Then, I will solicit feedback from the team to make sure it aligns with their schedules and allows them to also voice concerns if there are any constraints they may have during this time. If adjustments are feasible, I will adjust the schedule by a day or two, as it is important to show flexibility throughout the process. Not only does it show your understanding of their needs, but it also shows a level of empathy when collaborating with very busy subject matter experts.
Throughout the years, this lesson has been a very transformative one, in my personal and professional life. My natural inclination is to adhere to a rigid schedule, but inflexibility has led me to disappointment and dissatisfaction with the results, which made me reevaluate my own expectations. Adhering to schedules is an important and necessary part of the proposal management process, yet in our pursuit of pushing for quick turnarounds, we will not always achieve the greatest results. Instead, we should foster an environment of understanding and flexibility because at the end of the day, results matter, but the people involved in the process matter more.
Chang Sanders, CF APMP
Proposal Center Manager
Chang has over eight years of experience in proposal writing, management, and business development in healthcare and information technology industries. She is the Proposal Center Manager at Milliman’s Indianapolis Health Practice, managing the proposal department and assisting with business development initiatives. She joined APMP in 2019 and since then, she has been a dedicated member participating in a variety of APMP programs over the years. Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors as the Treasurer for the Greater Midwest Chapter.
