The Work Dad Podcast

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 One of the biggest lessons in my career came from an initiative that failed—not because the idea was bad, but because we didn’t listen to the right voices. I was leading a bold innovation initiative, and we were taking an unconventional approach to bring a new product to market. Our team had strong conviction, purpose, and a consumer-first mindset, but these things also gave us a false sense of confidence. We discounted advice from stakeholders—partly because we thought we knew better and partly because we didn’t like what we were hearing. In the end, the initiative failed for the very reasons we ignored. The problems—and potential solutions—were there all along; we just weren’t listening. From that point on, I made stakeholder engagement a cornerstone of my leadership toolbox. I learned to not just accept it, but to seek it out— from the board to the teams on the front lines. It became a secret weapon because many leaders overlook it, and even those who attempt it often miss its true potential. It’s about more than just listening—it requires openness to act on new (and sometimes inconvenient) perspectives and a willingness to change your mind. The benefits of stakeholder engagement are numerous, especially when it comes to strategic planning. It can help drive: 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: Stakeholders, whether internal or external, offer unique perspectives that can help uncover blind spots in strategy. Their input can highlight risks or opportunities that leadership alone might not see. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐮𝐲-𝐈𝐧: When stakeholders feel included in decision-making, they’re more likely to support the strategy. Engaging key decision-makers and those responsible for execution early helps mitigate resistance and creates a sense of ownership. 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Engaging stakeholders promotes cross-functional collaboration, ensuring alignment between functions like finance, marketing, R&D, and sales to drive execution excellence. 𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Effective stakeholder engagement involves more than gathering input. It requires maintaining two-way communication to keep stakeholders aligned with the organization’s goals throughout strategy development and execution. 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬? 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤. Together, we can create a custom, AI-powered plan to accelerate decision-making and drive stronger results. www.avenirstrategies.net #StakeholderEngagement #StrategicPlanning  #Leadership #Innovation #CPG #FMCG

🗓️ Looking at the calendar, for most employers it’s benefits #OpenEnrollment season. 💡 On the most recent episode of The Work Dad Podcast, Anna Beaty and I were joined by communications/marketing/brand expert and all around good guy Amos Haffner. Best practices and tips were shared…give it a listen! #EmployeeBenefits #TotalRewards #InternalCommunications #EmploymentBrands https://lnkd.in/en4iJ4t7

🗓️ 5 years ago on this day in 2019 I shared on LinkedIn about my personal journey with mental health. 👀 The good folks at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce saw it and in early 2020 (what a time that was) they asked me to write for BizVoice Magazie. 👍🏼 No better than #WorldMentalHealthDay to reshare that resource and continue to change our collective view and stigma around emotional well-being and mental health! https://lnkd.in/d25pk34