What's your secret to getting stakeholders on the same page?

As a consultant, there was a time when I fell into the cycle of absorbing lots of unnecessary information from well intentioned nonprofit clients. Constantly being sent so-called outcomes data by various stakeholders, which had my mind spiraling out of control, trying to figure out "what the heck all this data had to do with their actual social impact efforts". You know as evaluators, we sometimes have a tendency to please every stakeholder by finding usage for the data they provide, when all we really need to do is decide on a few good key focus area categories at the onset...then continuously bring the focus back to the nonprofits specific efforts and outcomes as they relate to these categories. Always, keep everyone's eye on the ball!

One crucial aspect to, fostering unity and collaboration amongst stakeholders is guaranteeing that everyone has a clear understanding of the goals, timeline and their role in the organizations success. Oftentimes, it is assumed that everyone has the same interpretation of the mission and the objectives. When that assumption is false, it can lead to poor team dynamics, stakeholder disengagement, and confusion.

It is extremely important to determine a cadence for check-ins and status updates. Define and establish metrics for success and ensure that everyone involved understand the criterion needed for success. At this stage it is also important to clearly state the risks associated with achieving success and generate a plan for how challenges will be addressed.

Consider setting up 1:1 meetings with your stakeholders to share new ideas. At these 1:1 meetings, explain your thoughts and gain buy-in from each individual. When you meet up as a group, everyone will already be aligned and ready to work together to achieve your goals.

Bons líderes ouvem suas equipes e aprendem com elas. As equipes sabem os erros da opera??o, elas sabem os pontos fracos da sua organiza??o e elas sabem as dores que n?o est?o sendo endere?adas. Liderar uma organiza??o requer prestar aten??o em quem está mais perto do problema que você. é essencial ouvir e traduzir isso em solu??es - isso é melhoria contínua.

Celebrating success is vital. This could mean sending weekly shout-outs to acknowledge the achievement of key activities or a celebratory lunch when the project is complete. Determining how and when to express gratitude will depend on the timeline of the project or initiative, the number of individuals involved, organizational budget, etc. The key is to remember that failure to pause and acknowledge success can lead to burnout. Avoid this mistake by informing everyone on how their work contributes to accomplishing organizational goals.

It's important to identify what worked and what could be improved upon. Each stakeholders' unique feedback should be sought out. Hosting a debriefing meeting with everyone involved is one way to gain feedback and foster collaboration. However, keep in mind that not everyone may be comfortable sharing in this format. Be cognizant of the communication preferences of those involved, be sure to establish ground rules to the meeting, and consider allowing time for one-on-one feedback sessions as well.