What are the best ways to communicate with stakeholders during escalation resolution?

1 Identify the key stakeholders

The first step is to identify who are the key stakeholders for the escalation and what are their roles, responsibilities, and expectations. You can use a stakeholder analysis matrix or a RACI chart to map out the stakeholders and their level of involvement and authority. You should also prioritize the stakeholders based on their impact and urgency, and assign a point of contact for each stakeholder group. This will help you to tailor your communication strategy and frequency according to their needs and preferences.

2 Establish a communication plan

The next step is to establish a communication plan that defines the objectives, methods, channels, frequency, and content of your communication with the stakeholders during the escalation. You should align your communication plan with the escalation management process and the project or service management plan. You should also consider the communication style, tone, and language of your stakeholders, and use clear, concise, and consistent messages. A communication plan will help you to keep the stakeholders informed, engaged, and aligned throughout the escalation resolution.

3 Provide regular updates

The third step is to provide regular updates to the stakeholders on the status, progress, and actions taken to resolve the escalation. You should use the agreed communication methods and channels, such as emails, calls, meetings, reports, or dashboards, and follow the communication frequency and schedule. You should also highlight the achievements, challenges, risks, and issues that affect the escalation resolution, and provide evidence and data to support your claims. Providing regular updates will help you to build trust, transparency, and accountability with the stakeholders.

4 Seek feedback and input

The fourth step is to seek feedback and input from the stakeholders on the escalation resolution. You should encourage the stakeholders to share their opinions, concerns, suggestions, or questions, and acknowledge and address them promptly and respectfully. You should also involve the stakeholders in the decision-making process, especially when there are changes, trade-offs, or impacts on the scope, schedule, budget, or quality of the project or service. Seeking feedback and input will help you to improve your communication effectiveness, collaboration, and stakeholder satisfaction.

5 Escalate issues and risks

The fifth step is to escalate issues and risks that may affect the escalation resolution to the appropriate stakeholder level. You should follow the escalation protocol and criteria defined in the escalation management process and the communication plan, and inform the stakeholders of the escalation reason, impact, and action plan. You should also document the escalation details, resolution steps, and outcomes, and update the stakeholder analysis matrix or the RACI chart accordingly. Escalating issues and risks will help you to mitigate the negative consequences, secure support, and resolve conflicts.

6 Celebrate and close

The final step is to celebrate and close the escalation resolution with the stakeholders. You should communicate the final status, results, and outcomes of the escalation resolution, and thank the stakeholders for their support, cooperation, and feedback. You should also solicit and provide feedback on the communication process, and identify the lessons learned, best practices, and improvement opportunities for future escalations. Celebrating and closing the escalation resolution will help you to recognize the achievements, reinforce the relationships, and close the communication loop with the stakeholders.

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?