Your stakeholders are demanding answers. How do you navigate their expectations without key decision-makers?

The first step is understanding who are all the players and the role they play. Are they simply ones who need to be NOTIFIED? Or are they ones who need to provide CRITICAL INPUT? Knowing this helps you understand the type of information and cadence in which you provide the information.

When stakeholders request updates and decisions, your first step is to assess their needs. Understand what information they're seeking and why it's important to them. This helps prioritize which queries to address first. At BigFral, I tailored my approach to each stakeholder by recognizing their specific concerns. This built trust and improved communication, ensuring that everyone felt valued and informed.

Understand Stakeholder Goals: Know what outcomes stakeholders expect from marketing operations. Proactive Communication. Data-Driven Insights. Prioritize Requests. Transparency. Empower Your Team. Seek Feedback. Highlight Successes. Contingency Planning. Strengthen Relationships. By focusing on these strategies, you can effectively manage stakeholder expectations, ensuring marketing operations continue to deliver value.

You're not alone in this. Engage your team members to help gather information and respond to stakeholder inquiries. They may have insights that you're not aware of, which could be crucial in addressing concerns. At BigFral, I involved my team in collecting data and forming responses to stakeholders. This collaboration ensured we presented a united front and reassured stakeholders that the project was being handled competently, leveraging everyone's expertise.

The biggest thing anyone can do is make sure that reality = expectations. If Reality - Expectations is POSITIVE, then people are happy. If Reality - Expectations is NEGATIVE, then people become worried. Your goal, at the bare minimum, is to make sure reality = expectations. Your stretch goal, is to make reality EXCEED expectations.

Keep stakeholders in the loop with regular updates. Even if there's no significant progress, acknowledging that you're actively working on their concerns can be reassuring. At BigFral, I ensured stakeholders received consistent updates, even if there was little progress. This practice prevented misunderstandings and reduced anxiety, showing that their concerns were always a priority and that they were never left out of the loop.

This section allows you to share additional examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into the previous sections. Personal Example One memorable experience at BigFral was when we faced a major supply chain disruption. By leveraging strong team collaboration and maintaining transparent communication with stakeholders, we managed to navigate the crisis effectively. This incident underscored the importance of resilience, adaptability, and the value of a united team approach in overcoming challenges.