How can you explain Senior Stakeholder Management to someone new to the field?

1 What is senior stakeholder management?

Senior stakeholder management is the process of identifying, engaging, and influencing the senior stakeholders who can affect or be affected by your project or initiative. It involves understanding their needs, expectations, and perspectives, as well as building trust, rapport, and alignment with them. The goal of senior stakeholder management is to ensure that the senior stakeholders are supportive of your project or initiative, and that they provide the necessary resources, guidance, and feedback to help you achieve your objectives.

2 Why is senior stakeholder management important?

Senior stakeholder management is important because it can make or break your project or initiative. If you manage your senior stakeholders well, you can benefit from their expertise, experience, and network. You can also gain their buy-in, endorsement, and advocacy for your project or initiative, which can increase its visibility, credibility, and success. On the other hand, if you neglect or antagonize your senior stakeholders, you may face resistance, criticism, or sabotage from them. You may also lose their trust, respect, and support, which can jeopardize your project or initiative.

4 How can you engage your senior stakeholders?

The second step of senior stakeholder management is to engage your senior stakeholders in a meaningful and effective way. You can use a stakeholder engagement plan, such as a RACI matrix, to define the roles and responsibilities of each senior stakeholder in your project or initiative. RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. Responsible means the senior stakeholder is directly involved in the execution of your project or initiative. Accountable means the senior stakeholder is ultimately accountable for the outcome of your project or initiative. Consulted means the senior stakeholder is consulted for their input or feedback on your project or initiative. Informed means the senior stakeholder is kept updated on the progress or status of your project or initiative. By assigning the RACI roles to each senior stakeholder, you can clarify their expectations and involvement, as well as avoid confusion, duplication, or conflict.

5 How can you influence your senior stakeholders?

The third step of senior stakeholder management is to influence your senior stakeholders to support your project or initiative. You can use a stakeholder influence strategy, such as a persuasion framework, to convince them of the value and benefits of your project or initiative. A persuasion framework consists of four elements: ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos. Ethos means establishing your credibility and authority as the project manager or leader. Pathos means appealing to the emotions and motivations of your senior stakeholders. Logos means presenting logical and factual arguments and evidence to support your project or initiative. Kairos means seizing the opportune moment and context to deliver your message. By combining these elements, you can create a compelling and persuasive case for your project or initiative.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?