Identifying Stakeholders in a Change Management Process

Identifying stakeholders is a critical initial step in crafting a comprehensive stakeholder strategy. It involves recognizing all individuals or groups who have a vested interest in a proposed change or its potential outcomes. This process necessitates a meticulous approach, as perceptions of stakeholder qualification can vary. Failing to consider crucial stakeholders can significantly hinder the successful execution of any change initiative.

Seven Principles of Stakeholder Engagement: A principle, follows Stephen Covey’s (1999) criteria. It is: universal: it will work anywhere; empowering: it offers change managers some kind of leverage; and self-validating: it may not be obvious to a novice, but it demonstrates its

value in practice.

Principles are useful practical orienting statements in ever-changing contexts, which sometimes appear chaotic. Observe these seven principles of stakeholder engagement and you will get better results. The seven principles are covered as follows:

Identifying and segmenting stakeholders:

Principle 1: You can forget important stakeholders, but they won’t forget you.

Principle 2: Identification is a continuous practice – new stakeholders emerge during a change, old ones can fade away.

Principle 3: Prioritizing and segmenting stakeholders is in a moment in time. Regularly re-prioritize.

Managing relationships and mobilizing stakeholders:

Principle 4: Some stakeholders are best engaged by others.

Principle 5: Seek first to understand, and then be understood.

Principle 6: Emotion trumps reason.

Principle 7: Demonstration trumps argument

Here are several methods commonly used for identifying stakeholders, along with detailed approaches:

Identification Workshops

Objective: Gather representatives from diverse stakeholder groups to collectively identify a broader spectrum of stakeholders.

Process:

• Carefully select participants from different stakeholder segments, ensuring representation from groups like employees, customers, suppliers, and potentially those in governance (e.g., board members, regulatory bodies).

• Appoint an experienced facilitator to guide the workshop effectively.

• Utilise structured techniques, including brainstorming, listing, and mind mapping, to explore potential stakeholders and their interests in the change initiative.

Benefits: Leverages the collective knowledge and varied perspectives of the participants. Encourages collaborative engagement from the outset, fostering a sense of ownership among stakeholders. Uncovers different perceptions of stakeholders and their relevance to the change, ensuring a more comprehensive understanding of the stakeholder landscape.

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Rapid Listing

Objective: Quickly generate an initial list of potential stakeholders.

Process:

• Assemble the core team responsible for spearheading the change.

• Clearly define the term "stakeholder" within the context of the change. Ensure everyone understands who qualifies as a stakeholder and stress the importance of a comprehensive list.

• Set a concise time limit, for instance, three minutes, for each team member to write down all stakeholders that come to mind.

Benefits:

• This method is straightforward and highly time-efficient.

• Valuable for initial brainstorming and kick-starting the stakeholder identification process.

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Mind Mapping

Objective: Visually represent stakeholder relationships and their connections to the change initiative.

Process:

• Position the change initiative at the centre of the mind map.

• Create branches outward, each representing a different stakeholder group.

• Connect stakeholders with lines or arrows, indicating their relationships, influence, and dependencies.

Benefits:

• Offers a comprehensive visual overview of the stakeholder landscape.

• Assists in uncovering hidden connections and potential areas of influence or conflict.

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Brainstorming

Objective: Generate a diverse range of potential stakeholders through open and creative discussions.

Process:

• Gather a diverse group of participants who possess varying levels of familiarity with the change initiative.

• Establish ground rules for brainstorming to cultivate a creative and non-judgmental environment. Encourage the free flow of ideas without criticism.

• Employ prompts and open-ended questions to stimulate thinking about different categories of stakeholders.

Benefits:

• Stimulates creative thinking and exploration of stakeholder groups that might not be immediately obvious.

• Can be effectively combined with other methods to expand the stakeholder list

  
  

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Conversations

Objective: Gather valuable insights from stakeholders and identify additional stakeholders through focused and purposeful conversations.

Process:

• Engage key stakeholders in individual conversations or small group discussions. Ensure the environment is conducive to open and honest dialogue

• Ask open-ended questions that encourage stakeholders to articulate their perspectives, concerns, and expectations regarding the change initiative

• Actively listen during these conversations, paying close attention to any mentions of other stakeholders or stakeholder groups that were not initially considered

Benefits:

• Cultivates a deeper understanding of stakeholder perspectives and their interests in the change

• Can lead to the discovery of previously overlooked stakeholders or the exclusion of those initially deemed relevant based on new information gathered

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It is vital to maintain a consistently updated list of stakeholders throughout the entire identification process. Tools like shared wiki can prove invaluable for documenting and tracking this evolving information. To guarantee accuracy and completeness, the stakeholder list should be regularly reviewed and updated. As a project advances, new stakeholders may surface, and the level of importance attached to existing stakeholders may shift, necessitating adjustments to the stakeholder list. The importance of continuous identification is emphasized in Principle 2 of stakeholder engagement.

Employing a combination of stakeholder identification methods can significantly contribute to the development of a robust and successful stakeholder strategy. It's essential to select methods appropriate to the specific context of the change initiative and to actively adapt the approach as the project progresses and the stakeholder landscape evolves. The seven principles of stakeholder engagement provide a valuable framework for guiding stakeholder identification and engagement throughout the change process.