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• What information do you want from them?
• What’s strategically important to them?
• What’s their vision for their part of the organization?
• Where is their thinking in terms of changes taking place in the organization?
• What history do they have that could be significant to the future?
Test yourself. If you can’t answer the questions, then do some research. Ask people who know them.
Ask the stakeholders themselves. Look into their background and experience. Think about how your
work links to their role. Build a clear picture that will form the foundation of your interaction with them.
3. Stuck at the starting gate? Engage key stakeholders early. Getting an idea off the ground can be
a tricky business. Sometimes you need all the help you can get to start things moving. So make use
of some of your most powerful stakeholders. Those who know the organization well. Those who can
influence decisions. Get them on board right from the beginning by asking them to help you define
and shape the thinking. Call on their experience to ensure you plan things in the right way. Tap into
their knowledge. Ask for their guidance on potential pitfalls. Use their positional power to get heard.
Involving them from the kick-off can mean you’re more likely to have their support going forward.
People generally have a higher level of interest in both progress and outcomes when they’ve been
involved from the start.
4. Only consider the upsides? Think worst-case scenario. In planning to get the balance right, think
what could go wrong. Anticipate the obstacles before they appear. Part of preparing for things to go
right with stakeholders is to think through what could go wrong. What’s the worst possible scenario
when it comes to balancing your stakeholders? Sponsors who don’t buy into the benefits of your
strategy? Team members who have no idea what’s expected of them to execute on the plan? Peers
caught off guard by how much time they must invest in your pet project? Customers blindsided by a
large-scale change that impacts their own business? Power players who feel excluded from the
decision-making process? Think about all that could go wrong, and then plan to get it right.
Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…
Giang, V. (2013, September 8). How to win loyalty from others. Business Insider.
Hack, N. B. (2011, May 3). How deeply engaging stakeholders changes everything. Forbes.
Kokemuller, N. (n.d.). How to deal with multiple stakeholders in organizations. Chron.
Springman, J. (2011, July 28). Implementing a stakeholder strategy. Harvard Business Review Blog
Network.
5. Struggling with juggling? Prioritize. Stakeholder groups can become very large, which will have an
impact on your success in getting the balance right. You can’t hope to give everyone the same level
of attention, nor should you. You need to determine where to channel your energy and define the type
of interaction you should have with each individual or group. Create an Influence/Interest grid—a 2X2
with “High to Low” axes describing the level of influence, or power, each stakeholder has, including
their degree of interest. Classify each of your stakeholders. Use their position on the grid to determine
how to interact with each of them. High Power/High Interest are the stakeholders you must manage
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