Stakeholder engagement communication

To celebrate the launch of our new eCourse, we’re releasing a brilliant new podcast each week which focuses on stakeholder management. Tune in each week for the next FREE instalment. If you are already subscribed to our mailing list, we’ll email you a simple recap of posts each Thursday so that you can listen at your own pace. Join our mailing list on this page for updates. Feel free to join the conversation by leaving your comments below, or connect with the FMPC tribe on social media.

If you’ve ever sent an email to a critical stakeholder instead of setting up a face-to-face meeting, press play on the below podcast! We’ll be discussing stakeholder engagement communication.

In this podcast, Elise Stevens speaks with Leisha Boyle, the founder of stickystories.co and director of Change Mania. Leisha uses the power of animation and storytelling to successfully implement change.

She has more than 20 years’ experience in planning and delivering effective change, taking on senior change lead roles in programs across a range of industries.

This podcast is part of our Stakeholder Management Series to celebrate the launch of our eCourse which is now available on our website. Tune in each week for the next instalment. If you are already subscribed to our mailing list, we’ll email you a simple recap of posts each Thursday so that you can listen at your own pace. Feel free to leave your comments below with any questions that you may have. Join the conversation!

Points raised in this podcast:

• Often important stakeholders are neglected – or not even identified!
• Project managers should give everyone information about the project and ask people if they have a stake in it. If they say they do, they’re a stakeholder.
• Everyone has a role to play with stakeholder engagement – the change manager can’t be the only person responsible for it.
• The engagement needs to be real. Information and dialogue needs to be shared freely if the stakeholder is to feel truly engaged.
• The shareholder won’t feel truly engaged if they’re not being listened to. Don’t do all the talking.
• Be genuine in taking input from your stakeholders. Don’t just tick a box and move on.
• Email is not sufficient engagement for critical stakeholders. It is imperative project managers have face-to-face engagement with the people who are essential to the project’s success.
• Talk to the stakeholders less about the process and mechanics of the project, but more about how the people affected by the project or change will experience it in their every day jobs and lives. Storytelling can be useful for this.
• Try to lose the management speak. Put your stakeholder engagement in personal terms and you’ll build personal relationships.

Connect with Leisha on LinkedIn