How can you make your stakeholder engagement strategy inclusive across cultures?

2 Define your engagement objectives and approach

The next step is to define your engagement objectives and approach, based on your stakeholder analysis and the scope and nature of your project, initiative, or strategy. You should clearly articulate what you want to achieve from your stakeholder engagement, such as building trust, gaining support, obtaining feedback, resolving issues, or co-creating solutions. You should also decide on the best engagement approach for each stakeholder group or individual, such as informing, consulting, involving, collaborating, or empowering. You should take into account the cultural factors that may affect your engagement approach, such as the level of formality, the degree of hierarchy, the mode of communication, the style of feedback, and the type of participation.

3 Plan your engagement activities and channels

The third step is to plan your engagement activities and channels, based on your engagement objectives and approach. You should design and schedule your engagement activities, such as meetings, workshops, presentations, webinars, or focus groups, to suit the needs and preferences of your stakeholders. You should also choose the most appropriate and effective engagement channels, such as email, phone, video conference, social media, or intranet, to reach and communicate with your stakeholders. You should consider the cultural aspects that may influence your engagement activities and channels, such as the time zone, the language, the etiquette, the tone, and the non-verbal cues.

4 Implement your engagement plan and monitor progress

The fourth step is to implement your engagement plan and monitor progress, based on your engagement activities and channels. You should execute your engagement plan with professionalism, respect, and empathy, and adapt to the different cultural contexts and expectations of your stakeholders. You should also monitor and measure the progress and outcomes of your engagement plan, using indicators such as stakeholder satisfaction, feedback quality, issue resolution, or decision making. You should evaluate the cultural impact and implications of your engagement plan, such as the level of trust, rapport, alignment, or diversity.

5 Review and improve your engagement strategy

The final step is to review and improve your engagement strategy, based on your engagement plan and progress. You should collect and analyze feedback from your stakeholders and yourself, and identify the strengths and weaknesses of your engagement strategy. You should also identify the opportunities and challenges for improvement, and implement the necessary changes and actions to enhance your engagement strategy. You should reflect on the cultural lessons and learnings from your engagement strategy, such as the best practices, the pitfalls, or the insights.