Practical approach and fresh views from practitioners' perspective on how to manage stakeholder. This is a presentation at Marcus Evans' Conference on Business Process Improvement and Transformation.

1. Managing Stakeholders :
Beyond Methodology
Conference on Business Process Improvement and Transformation
A presentation by ;
Jamilah Haron
Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt
jamilah.haron@gmail.com
21st March 2012

2. Highlights of Presentation
• An overview of basic model for change
• A refresher on skills of leaders / project managers
• Stakeholder and Basic Stakeholder Management Tools
• Managing upward : Building rapport and “Inside-Out” approach
• Managing downward : Communication Approach with the mass

3. A Change Management Model
QxA=E
Change Initiative
Source :
http://web02.corporate.ge.com/crotonville/catalog/wocapinf.htm

4. Refresher : Skill Set

5. Some key skills and characteristics
• A planner, be conscious of the milestone and yet
able to execute well.
• Follow up and follow through.
• Flexible : Open eyes and ears for feedback .
• Fine tuning some of the approach as necessary.
Getting a job done : 20% intelligence, 80% emotional

6. Basic Stake Holder Analysis Tools

7. Who are Stakeholders ?
• People who are affected by our work, who have influence or power over it,
or have an interest in its successful or unsuccessful conclusion

8. Stakeholders Analysis
• Identify key people who have to be won over
Why?
• The opinions of the most powerful stakeholders will shape our projects at
an early stage.
• Gaining support from powerful stakeholders can help us win more
resources
• To be able to anticipate what people's reaction to our project may be, and
build into our plan the actions that will win people's support

9. Stakeholders Mapping - Prioritize , How to Treat Them
• Monitor
• Do not bore
them with
excessive
communication
•Keep these people
adequately
informed
• Talk to them to
ensure that no
major issues are
arising.
• Put enough work
in with these
people to keep
them satisfied
• People we must
fully engage
• Make the greatest
efforts to satisfy

10. Understanding Stakeholders
Blockers or Critics, or Advocates and Supporters ?
• Communicate !
What financial or emotional interest do they have in the outcome of our work?
How to fulfil their needs ? What information do they want ?
• Observe ! What motivates them most of all?
Who else might be influenced by their opinions?
Do these people become stakeholders in their own right?
• Preferred communication mode :
How do they want to receive information from us?
What is the best way of communicating our message to them?
• Perception : What is their current opinion of our work?
Is it based on good information?
• Strategize !
If they are not likely to be positive, what will win them around to support your project?

11. Stakeholder Analysis for Change
Names
Strongly
Against (-2)
Moderately
Against (-1)
Neutral (0)
Strongly
Moderately
Supportive (+1) Supportive (+2)
X
ABC
X
DEF
X
GHI
Action Steps
• Initial Benefits
presentation
• Invite as
Projects reviewer
Seek favor of his
favorite manager
JKL
MNO
X
PQR
STU
X
VWY
Current
X
Desired
• Initial Benefits
presentation
• Invite as
Projects reviewer
•Head to Head
invitation
•Fortnightly update

12. Managing Upward :
Building Rapport

13. Face to face communication is the best

14. One on one interaction with stakeholders : Building rapport
• What is Rapport :
Expressing from the heart, sending the message “we are alike”.
• Careful that 70& of communication is through non verbal.

15. Managing Upward :
“Inside-Out Approach” of
Managing Stakeholders

16. Getting to know Stakeholders Personality style
• This approach is recommended considering stakeholders are individuals
with various personality and preferences.
• This approach requires change agents to be mature and concerned on developing
long-term professional relationships on top of driving transformation results.

17. Example of Inside-Out approach : Thinking Preference
• This is an example of using thinking preference to understand ourselves and
others. Such understanding will help us tailor our communication approach.
Thinking
Preference :
Analyze
Thinking
Preference :
Strategize
How to
communicate :
Facts, figures
How to
communicate :
Overview, vision,
new ideas
Thinking
Preference :
Organize
Thinking
Preference :
Personalize
How to
communicate :
Systematic,
methodical,
details
How to
communicate :
People-related
issues, feelings
Source :
Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument

18. Cluster at Each Quadrants and Preferred Tasks
• Effort and observations in understanding stakeholders preferences enables better overview of
stakeholder’s personality or preferred style
• Change agents are able to adopt suitable communication style for greater impact in buy-in
process.
Source :
Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument

19. Others Commonly Used Personality Assessment Models
• Myer Briggs Temperament Indicator
(Attitude, Perceiving, Judging, Life style)
• Keirsey Temperament Sorter
(Guardians, Idealists, Artisans, Rationals)
• Big Five Profile
(Openness , Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism)
• These models just shows tendency/preferences. Our preference will change over time as
influenced by our surroundings.
• Regardless of models, change agents will benefits in understanding any of them as it will
help in building rapport with stake holders

20. Managing Downward:
Communication Approach

21. Reaching the mass
• People must feel they are being heard, and they have an avenue to voice
their views. (Even if we know they end up not asking any questions.)
• A recommended approach is “town hall”. This could be a bi-monthly event
with key people giving update of the change.
• Chance for people to ask questions boldly.
• This is where we discover influencers.

22. Varying the approach
• Consistent communication in various format.
• Strongly recommended to have a communication personin-charge in the project team.





Intranet
Weekly Communication
Visits
Electronic newsletter
Events (Launch, town hall)

23. Customizing the approach
• Alternatively we can meet people in small group so that
the “shy type” can be discovered and heard.
• “Teh tarik session”, “sandwich session”..one group after
another.

24. Key Take Away
• Getting a job done : 20% intelligence, 80% emotional
• Managing Stakeholder is essentially required at every phase of Change
• Understanding stakeholder preferences helps build rapport and facilitate
the buy-in process
• Communication is key in maximizing acceptance to the changes that we
introduced.

25. References
Kotter, John P, . Leading Change : Why Transformation Efforts Fail, Harvard Business
Review, Jan 2007
http://hbr.org/2007/01/leading-change-why-transformation-efforts-fail/ar/1
Miles, Robert H, . Accelerating Corporate Transformations, Harvard Business Review
http://hbr.org/2010/01/accelerating-corporate-transformations-dont-lose-your-nerve/ar/1
Thompson, Rachel , Stakeholder Analysis
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_07.htm
http://projectmanagementtraininghull.webs.com/
http://www.dilbert.com/