The Stakeholder Management analysis is a useful approach for identifying and understanding the expectation and interests of different groups of people (with influence) inside (or outside of) an organisation.

Originator: Clarkson Centre for Business Ethics and Board Effectiveness

It should be used at the beginning of a project and referred to throughout. Your stakeholder needs to have intellectual and emotional ownership of the change that you are embarking on.

How to use it?

There a seven “principles” that are designed to create awareness to the stakeholders needs.

Principle 1 – People should acknowledge and consider all legitimate stakeholder concerns when making decisions. It is important to consider all stakeholders as they may all have differing interests which need to be taken into account.

Principle 2 – People should listen to and openly communicate with stakeholders. It is important to remember that communication is a two-way process and both sides need to be able to openly engage about their respective concerns and contributions, and about the risks that they assume because of their involvement with the organisation.

Principle 3 – People should adapt their communication depending on the stakeholder. They need to be able to adopt processes and modes of behaviour tailored to the concerns and capabilities of each different stakeholder type.

Principle 4 – People should treat all stakeholders fairly. It is important to recognize the respective risks and vulnerabilities of the different stakeholders and attempt to deliver a fair distribution of the benefits and burdens of corporate activity among them.

Principle 5 – People should work cooperatively and develop partnerships with stakeholders. When making changes within the organisation sometimes undesirable results are unavoidable but in order to minimise some of these outcomes that may arise, managers may need help from some key stakeholders.<

Principle 6 – People need to clearly outline any possible risks that may affect the stakeholders. During any project they are always things that cannot be anticipated and it is important to inform the stakeholders of these possibilities so they are not surprised by any possible negative feedback.

Principle 7 – People need to be able to balance their roles as both a stakeholder themselves and their legal and moral responsibilities for the interests of all stakeholders. The manager has a unique position as a stakeholder with direct access to privileged information. They need to address any such conflicts through open communication appropriate reporting and incentive systems and, where necessary, third party review.

 

What do I need?

A meeting with those people identified as being influential to the project