How can you tailor your stakeholder engagement approach for employees, customers, and suppliers?

The need for stakeholder engagement comes from the need to build trust to deliver results through engaged business relationships. Stakeholders are within or outside of firms which constitute our work universe that are essential to do business with. Each are different from each other with their behaviours of doing business. Therefore engaging stakeholders require empathy, inclusion, consistent communication. They are simply your network. Therefore you have to keep your eye on them, know them, communicate with them thru proper communication channel on a regular basis… build, engage, maintain??

In my experience stakeholders are businesses beneficiaries. Like how customers are beneficiaries of the product and it associated services. The primary objective should be always benefit maximisations. This should be also clubbed with risk involved in the services tagged along to the lowest possible. This helps to achieve continuous and sustainable business.

Based on my experience stakeholder engagement fails because of this reasons; 1. You manage all stakeholders with one formula 2. There is focus on communicating updates about the change initiative rather than listening to stakeholders 3. You do not have rapport with stakeholders to understand what's not said 4. You make one point of contact for all matter rather than having multiple levels of engagement

For any change or transformation initiative to be successful, you have to take your key stakeholders with you, and ensure they're aligned. It's even better if some of your key stakeholders are driving the initiative - if this is the case, it's far more likely to succeed. So effective stakeholder engagement is critical for a change or transformation initiative to succeed - and poor stakeholder engagement is one of the key reasons why such initiatives fail.

In my experience, on of the biggest factors to the success of your projects is the satisfaction of your stakeholders. To achieve this, i suggest that when a project kicks-off to do the following together with your stakeholders: - Define a common vision. - Discuss on a high level what is and is not in scope. - Brainstorm on how we are going to measure the success of the project/product. - Talk about the different types of users that will be interacting with the final product/result. - Collaboratively start sketching out the different user journeys for each of the identified users. - Finally, discuss the scope and challenge your stakeholders to prioritize. Doing this will make sure that every stakeholder feels engaged and have a say.

Identifying stakeholders is crucial for effective project management. Start by categorizing them into primary and secondary stakeholders, differentiating between internal and external groups. Create a stakeholder map to visualize their relationships with the project. Use brainstorming, surveys, interviews, and document reviews to pinpoint stakeholders. Social media, public records, and industry associations can also be valuable sources of information. Regularly update your stakeholder list as new individuals or groups may become relevant as your project progresses.

One thing I've found useful is a having a stakeholder matrix, to categorise and map the impact to the different groups of people who woll be impacted by the change and the roles they play as part of making the change stick. At times when things seems unclear, it is worthwhile setting up time to find out more, through interviews, and often most effective, transparent and open-ended chats. The biggest and most crucial part of change management is taking care of the stakeholders!

We have had great success with "Day in the Life" discovery, which is especially helpful if doing a change that is in place of another tool or process. But regardless, it's a very practical way to keep asking "What happens next?" and ultimately keep looking for "who is engaged when and how?". The more detail you can dive into for mapping out a journey for each new process or person involved, the better you can understand who is impacted and can explore further with them to dive into the type and amount of impact the proposed change will be.

I actually don't begin with trying to identify stakeholders. I try to find one person (or group) who is ultimately responsible for the success of the change. Then we determine what the intended results are of the change with a set of specific measurables. Once the measurables are determined I try to think of what parties influence those measurables. From there I create a shortlist of stakeholders who are actually material to the outcomes of the change process. They get most of my focus. Other stakeholders should still be involved in some capacity though just to meet their psychological needs.

Identifying stakeholders involves a systematic approach. Begin by mapping internal and external entities directly or indirectly impacted by your organization. Engage with employees, customers, suppliers, and regulatory bodies. Utilize surveys, interviews, and feedback mechanisms to understand concerns and expectations. Analyzing social networks and industry landscapes also reveals hidden stakeholders. Continuous monitoring ensures a dynamic stakeholder map, vital for effective engagement and strategic decision-making.

Our employees are at the heart of this transformation. We value their insights, concerns, and feedback, and we will actively engage them throughout this journey. Change management is not about imposing new processes from the top down; it's about creating a collaborative environment where everyone's voice is heard. Employee engagement will be a cornerstone, and we will work together to ensure that their needs and concerns are addressed.

My acquaintance who led a massive change project in the higher ed space (30k+ employees and 40k+ students) had a simple heuristic. In order for employees to change they must know two things: what is required of me personally and what is the benefit to me personally. I suggest grounding your employee communication in that framework.

To tailor your communication to employees effectively, start by understanding their preferences, needs, and communication styles. Segment your audience based on factors like job roles and communication channel preferences, and use the right channels for different groups. Personalize your messages when possible, keeping them clear and concise, and ensure they are relevant to individual roles. Encourage feedback, listen actively, and maintain a consistent communication schedule. Create opportunities for two-way communication and provide training in effective communication practices. Respect diversity and cultural differences within your workforce to foster a positive work environment and enhance overall engagement.

One thing I’d add is the importance of having a clear communication plan that has been aligned on by core stakeholders (such as Senior Leadership, SMEs) — and has received feedback from a group of change champions. This will also allow those leading the change to have a reference point for how to engage stakeholders and encourage idea sharing around how to also get people excited about the change! How are we going to communicate the change? How are we going to build excited anticipation for the change? How are we going to celebrate those embracing the change?

It is critical to understand how your employees best receive information and prioritize multiple communication channels. Many employees have hundreds of unread emails - another newsletter may not even get looked at. Leveraging a variety of methods like pop-up info booths, peer change networks, or town hall announcements may provide additional ways to effectively broadcast your change, especially if you can gather data as to the most effective communication methods at your company.

Before starting any project, it is crucial to make an analysis and understand for whom you are going to create or develop a product or service. Clarify your target audience, describe personas and their customer journey. What’s important not only customer journey while using your product but also before and after that. In such a way you will have a better understanding of the customer thoughts, needs and pain points. And based on this knowledge you will be able to design customer focused product or service. So, customer engagement starts from the very beginning of any project and continues throughout the whole product lifecycle via feedback loop.

Consider using an adaptation of "The Platinum Rule" -- communicate unto others as THEY prefer to be communicated to. Using their language, syntax, examples, and stories make it easier for your message to be heard and understood.

Tailoring collaboration with customers involves understanding their individual needs. Implement effective communication channels such as surveys, social media, and direct interactions to gather insights. Personalize products or services based on customer preferences, utilizing data analytics for a more tailored experience. Ensure transparency in business practices, and regularly seek customer feedback to refine offerings. By fostering a collaborative and customer-centric approach, businesses can build lasting relationships and enhance overall customer satisfaction.

I would also add that follow-up is key to keeping customers engaged. You can provide all the tools and pathways you want for customers to provide feedback, but if you aren't following up with responses to that feedback, customers will lose trust and stop engaging.

Tailoring negotiations with suppliers is key to fostering mutually beneficial relationships. Begin by understanding their goals and challenges. Emphasize open communication, addressing concerns and exploring opportunities for collaboration. Negotiate terms that accommodate both parties, considering factors like payment schedules and volume commitments. Demonstrate reliability and ethical business practices, building trust. By adapting the negotiation approach to align with supplier needs, organizations create a foundation for sustainable partnerships and shared success.

or employees, foster open dialogue and continuous learning. With customers, prioritize active listening to enhance service delivery. For suppliers, maintain transparent communication and a collaborative approach to navigate challenges and seek shared benefits. The mantra “Listen, learn, fail, iterate” aptly encapsulates the essence of adaptable stakeholder engagement, promoting enduring impact through collaborative effort.

Change is not a linear process, either to execute or to experience. Keep listening to stakeholders and those impacted by the change; be ready to learn and adapt. Default to multiple types of communication and support if you have the resources and don't despair when inevitably there are those who never heard about the change despite every best effort to proactively communicate.

The backbone of this transformation is cutting-edge technology. Our new workforce management tool will provide real-time data and insights, enabling data-driven decision-making. It will streamline HR processes, automate routine tasks, and enhance the overall employee experience. The technology will be a valuable ally in embracing change and managing uncertainty, as it provides us with the tools to adapt swiftly and efficiently.

Setbacks should be expected. It's part of the process. Expect issues to arise and be adaptable. What works for one project, won't necessarily work for all of them.