I've always believed that stakeholder management is key to business transformation. If you want to be given a clean bill of health and avoid major surgery after you introduce change within your organisation, it’s essential that you manage your stakeholders effectively throughout the programme. My prescription for good stakeholder management covers four essential areas: - Identifying stakeholders - Managing expectations - Engaging appropriately - Communicating effectively I've captured my tips for managing these four areas on a slide - I hope you find it useful. Please use the following link to check out my full LinkedIn article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/stakeholder-management-just-what-doctor-ordered-jon-stephenson

1. Stakeholder Management – just what the doctor ordered!
• Manage your stakeholders effectively throughout the change programme
– they are key to its successful implementation and an integral part of your BAU activity
• Document your proposed approach in a Project Initiation Document (PID)
– focus on identification, expectation, engagement, and communication (see next slide)
• Identify your stakeholders for each different stage of the project life cycle
– the individuals or groups of people that can affect, or will be affected by, your change
• Establish your main (or single) points of contact within each of the groups
– so they can validate your findings, provide ongoing feedback, and cascade information
• Manage everyone’s expectations from the outset
– what they can expect from you and what you need from them
• Optimise their engagement levels for every stage
– based upon their interest and/or importance to the change
• Plan your communication strategy for each group
– tailor your approach according to their wants and needs
• Deliver the above steps for a healthy relationship
– just what the doctor (and your stakeholders) ordered!
Jon Stephenson
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/stephensonjon

2. Jon Stephenson
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/stephensonjon
Stakeholder Management – just what the doctor ordered!
Identification
Expectation
Engagement
Communication
Plan your communication approach
for each group:
• Adapt your communication style
according to their needs
• Agree the frequency of your updates
and attendee/distribution lists
• Confirm the required level of detail
and format of reports
• Establish their preferred methods of
communicating with you
Optimise their levels of engagement:
• Involve the stakeholders throughout
the whole change process
• Check regularly for engagement to
ensure you have their buy-in
• Keep them fully informed of major
issues or deviations from plan
• Tailor your approach according to
their influence and interest
Manage expectations from the outset:
• Be very clear re purpose, timescales,
outcomes, and the success criteria
• Aim high, but be realistic & pragmatic
• Don't under-promise and overdeliver
• Don’t over-promise and underdeliver
• Ensure you’re open and honest
• Obtain their firm commitment to give
you the level of support you need
Identify the key stakeholder groups
and main contacts for your change:
• Business Sponsor and SLT
• Change team
• Employees
• Other departments
• Customers and end users
• Shareholders
• Business partners and suppliers
• Local community