Manage stakeholders

What is stakeholder management?

Stakeholder management is the process of identifying and understanding the needs and motivations of different stakeholders who may affect, or be affected by, transformation activity to enable actions to be taken to maximise successful delivery.

Essential for:

• All types of transformation

Knowledge

• Knowledge of change management methodologies.
• Understanding of how to build contextual awareness.
• Understanding of change management practice.
• Knowledge of effective use of different communication channels and methods.
• Understanding of how to map and monitor stakeholder sentiment, engagement and buy in.

Skills

Able to:

• Identify key stakeholders: That have an impact on or are impacted by transformation.
• Map and analyse stakeholders: To understand their motivations, needs and influence and how that may impact on the effectiveness of the delivery of the change. 
• Plan effective communication: Based on stakeholder needs and appropriate use of most effective communication channels and methods, ensuring stakeholders are involved in the design and delivery of the change at all stages.
• Build and leverage relationships: To support the delivery of outcomes.
• Manage stakeholder expectations: To minimise the risk of over promise and under delivery.
• Negotiate: With stakeholders as needed to achieve end outcomes, aligning personal motivations to organisation objectives.
• Resolve conflicts: Between stakeholders, taking a solution-based approach to finding common ground and a pathway to achieving the right outcome for the organisation.
• Manage risk: Through the identification and management of stakeholder related risk within the context of the overall governance approach.

Behaviours

• Collaborative
• Empathetic
• Analytical
• Persuasive
• Listening
• Adaptable
• Positivity
• Resilience
• Inclusive
• Respectful