10 tips for engaging stakeholders on your next project (plus a little gift)| FB Consultancy

Sponsorship and buy in from your stakeholders can be a great asset when it comes to ensuring the success of your project. However, if you don’t involve them from the very beginning, they may not feel as though they are part of the process and may not be as supportive when it comes time to execute the project. In this article, we will discuss 10 tips for engaging stakeholders on your next project.

Stakeholder......remind me again....

A project stakeholder is anyone who has a vested interest in the outcome of a project. They may be a sponsor or investor, a client or customer, or someone who will be affected by the project. It is important to engage stakeholders early and keep them informed throughout the project so that they can provide support and guidance.

The importance of engaging stakeholders cannot be overstated. By engaging them early and keeping them informed, you are ensuring their support and involvement which can make all the difference when it comes to the success of your project. They will also be more likely to help out if any problems or challenges arise. So, how do you go about engaging stakeholders?

1. Define the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder.

Make sure you know who will be responsible for what on the project. This will help to ensure that everyone is clear on their role and what is expected of them.

2. Communicate the vision and objectives of the project .

Make sure everyone understands the goals of the project and what you are trying to achieve. This will help to ensure that they are buy-in and support the project.

3. Keep stakeholders updated on the progress of the project.

Make sure you keep them updated on a regular basis so that they can see the progress being made and feel like they are a part of the process.

4. Encourage stakeholders to provide input and feedback.

Make sure you give them opportunities to provide input and feedback so that they can help shape the project.

5. Seek out their expertise and advice.

Make sure you make use of their expertise and knowledge so that you can benefit from their experience.

6. Be responsive to their concerns.

Make sure you listen to their concerns and address them in a timely manner.

7. Keep them informed of any changes.

Make sure you keep them updated on any changes that are made to the project so that they can adjust their expectations accordingly.

8. Encourage transparency and open communication.

Make sure that everyone is able to communicate openly and transparently so that everyone is on the same page.

9. Seek out their input on decisions.

Make sure you involve them in decision-making so that they can help shape the project.

10. Thank them for their support.

Make sure you show your appreciation for their support and involvement in the project.

Our approach

Engaging stakeholders is essential to the success of any project. By involving them from the beginning and keeping them updated throughout the process, you can ensure their buy-in and support. Following these 10 tips will help you to engage stakeholders on your next project.

One of the most common challenges is getting people on board early in the process, any form of change is going to be disrupting, it may lead to "cost cutting" and involve extra hours etc. They may not feel as though they are part of the project if they aren’t involved from the beginning.

The key to overcoming these challenges is the way you frame a project. The biggest obstacle to digital transformation is the "fear of cannibalisation", people need to understand the benefits and what direct effect it will have on their lives. Make sure you involve stakeholders from the very beginning and keep them updated throughout the project. Use various channels of communication so that everyone can stay informed.

The 360 approach -

A method that we use at FB Consultancy, provides you with an anonymous platform where the business can gain an internal view of how it views its commitment to "Digital".

Our "Digital Maturity Framework" document has been built utilising existing frameworks from multiple sources together with FB Consultancy's Assurance team based on numerous projects.?It is a handy tool to encourage self reflection, highlight concerns, and initiate conversations about the companies ability to operate in a digital first world.

This is a precursor to discussions about digital transformation programmes, and helps to illustrate benefits to your stakeholders and ultimately bringing them on board.

FB Consulting has worked with a variety of clients on digital transformation. If you would like to learn more about our services, please contact us.

If you are interested in a free copy of our framework, we will be making it available to people who like or comment on this post or you can email [email protected]