How do you include diverse stakeholders in your business?

1 Identify your stakeholders

The first step is to identify who your stakeholders are and what role they play in your business. Stakeholders can be internal or external, such as customers, employees, suppliers, partners, regulators, competitors, or investors. You can use various tools and techniques to map out your stakeholders, such as stakeholder analysis, power-interest matrix, or stakeholder personas. The goal is to understand who they are, what they care about, and how they influence or are influenced by your business.

2 Communicate your vision and value proposition

The next step is to communicate your business architecture vision and value proposition to your stakeholders. This means explaining why you are doing business architecture, what benefits it will bring, and how it will address their pain points or opportunities. You can use different methods and channels to communicate your message, such as presentations, newsletters, workshops, or social media. The key is to tailor your communication to the needs and preferences of each stakeholder group, and to use clear and simple language.

3 Involve them in co-creation and feedback

The third step is to involve your stakeholders in co-creating and providing feedback on your business architecture artifacts and outcomes. This means inviting them to participate in activities such as interviews, surveys, focus groups, brainstorming sessions, or prototyping. The aim is to leverage their insights, ideas, and experiences to improve your business architecture design and alignment. You should also seek their feedback on the quality, relevance, and usability of your business architecture deliverables, such as models, diagrams, or roadmaps.

4 Manage their expectations and concerns

The fourth step is to manage your stakeholders' expectations and concerns throughout your business architecture project. This means setting realistic and achievable goals, milestones, and deliverables, and communicating them clearly and regularly. You should also anticipate and address any potential issues, risks, or conflicts that may arise among or with your stakeholders, such as resistance to change, conflicting interests, or lack of resources. You should also celebrate and acknowledge their contributions and achievements, and show appreciation and recognition.

5 Build trust and relationships

The fifth step is to build trust and relationships with your stakeholders based on mutual respect, understanding, and collaboration. This means listening to their needs and opinions, showing empathy and curiosity, and providing support and guidance. You should also demonstrate your competence and credibility as a business architect, and deliver on your promises and commitments. You should also seek to learn from your stakeholders, and share your knowledge and best practices with them.

6 Evaluate and improve your stakeholder engagement

The final step is to evaluate and improve your stakeholder engagement practices and outcomes. This means measuring and monitoring the impact and value of your stakeholder engagement activities, such as stakeholder satisfaction, engagement level, or business architecture adoption. You should also collect and analyze feedback from your stakeholders, and identify what worked well and what can be improved. You should also document and share your lessons learned and best practices, and plan for continuous improvement and innovation.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?