managing difficult stakeholders - how to

Jeff Gardner

How to manage difficult stakeholders

Difficult stakeholders – how to manage..

The Business Issue

How I resolved it

The ‘difficult stakeholder’

Jeff Gardner Slide No. 1

The Business Issue

Slide No. 2 Jeff Gardner

The Business Issue - Context

Jeff Gardner

• Business Issue ; statement (Voice of stakeholder #1)“We have no confidence that the promised Service

Operating Model will be in place in time for the Service launch. Our Service Operations and Customer Services simply won’t be ready and we have no fallback option”

• Consequence statement (Voice of stakeholder #2)

“If action is not taken immediately we will have no choice but to postpone the launch indefinitely”

Slide No. 3

How I resolved it


How I resolved it - ‘My approach’

Jeff Gardner

• In seeking the Exec’s buy-in to me resolving the issue, my chosen approach followed 4 key activities :-

1) Seek Exec’s consensus of the ‘as is’ situation 2) Gain understanding of the exec’s perspectives of

the situation, the business impacts and desired goal 3) Propose ideas and gain consensus on what to take

forward and personally lead the discussions 4) Propose, agree & clarify next steps to achieve the

outcome and lead the activities Slide No. 5

Understand Exec’s

perspectiveWhat does ‘good’ look

like to Exec’s?

How can we measure Exec’s

satisfaction?

Seek all Exec’s

viewpoint

How I resolved it...1) ‘Seek to understand’

“These are the likely impacts and effects..”

“It will be achieved when I can see that...... has happened and also that...”

“I require these..... to be in place... and by......... date”

“This is what I see the issue being about..... “

Start

Outcome

I ran this process with exec’s until I had the full picture


Jeff Gardner

• Taking into account the Exec’s input, I put forward ideas outlining the following :- 1) Benefits 2) Barriers3) Consequences 4) Time/Cost to implement

• I briefed each of the exec’s individually and then collectively in seeking their agreement/approval on which idea to take forward

• I developed an exec’s management/reporting plan*• I worked consultatively with the exec’s and managers

* See back up slides #15 & 16 Slide No. 7

How I resolved it...2) ‘Ideas & Execution’

Jeff Gardner

• After 6 weeks the issue was resolved with an agreed list of concessions and risk managed items

• Subsequently the Service was launched successfully although with a minor delay

• The ‘lessons learned’ were documented for future launches (‘ask’ of Stakeholder #2)

Slide No. 8

How I resolved it...3) ‘The end result’

The difficult stakeholder (Exec)


Jeff Gardner

• One Exec (Stakeholder #2) had a high interest and strong position. • With more ‘at stake’ their chosen style was to object to proposals thereby pushing

others to compromise• Recognising this I adapted both my inter-personal skills and stakeholder management style

accordingly :- 1. I invested time to reflect on the needs and anxieties that underlined their

position2. I expended more effort and exerted more organisational pressure to satisfy

their needs3. I provided them with additional transparency on impacts, consequences and

mitigations4. I escalated their issues/concerns more frequently for quick turnaround5. I frequently communicated and met with them/their team to provide updates

and to consult on proposals6. I adopted an empathetic attitude toward her predicament/concerns7. I prioritised their needs ;when appropriate and with managers approval

Difficult Exec - ‘How I managed’

Slide No. 10

- back up data


Jeff Gardner

• Stakeholder management is pro-actively interacting with persons, groups and/or organisations to align interests and positions relative to a specific change or outcome you are owning eg through a Project.

• The stakeholders interests are championed by a nominated individual, group or organisation whom the stakeholder trusts and delegates authority to act on their behalf.

• In return the stakeholder is regularly engaged and

appraised on delivery status, progress risks and issues according to pre-agreed criteria.

Stakeholder - ‘the definition’

Slide No. 12

Jeff Gardner

• Depending on the impact to and importance of the stakeholder, the interaction level is appropriately scaled :-

high value stakeholders = strong buy-in medium > high value stakeholder = active consultationmedium to low value stakeholder = maintain interestlow value stakeholder = kept informed

• Stakeholder’s can affect actions, outcomes and influence results and therefore must be managed sensitively

Best practice stakeholder management

Slide No. 13


Stakeholder Management - Matrix

AcknowledgeMonitor

Manage Involve

Low High

Low

Hig

h

Impo

rtan

ce o

f sta

keho

lder

con

trib

ution

/Po

tenti

al im

pact

to st

akeh

olde

r

Collaboration interests

Exec’s Management Plan Exec’s/Stakeholders Position Interest Influence Knowledge

LevelEngagement level

Head of XXXXXXXX Services Supportive Medium Medium Medium High

Head of XXXXXX Operations Supportive High High Low Medium

Head of XXXXXXX Services Supportive High High Medium Low

Head of XXXXXXXXX* Neutral Medium Low Medium Low

Head of XXXXXXXXX** Resistant High High High High

Group Head of XXXXXXXX Supportive High High High Medium

Group Head of XXXXXXXXX Supportive Medium High Medium Medium

Exceptions**Manage Closely/Prioritise needs* Increase engagement Jeff Gardner Slide No. 15

Exec/stakeholder – Weekly report Work stream Proposed idea Status/Progress

Customer Services

Train the trainer RED Training late, recommend HQ based training followed by regional call centres.

Retail Operations

Implement oline/distant sales

GREEN WEB development on track. Push campaign - changes to IT back end needed to trigger

Service Operations

Set up Vendor as Tier 2

AMBER Commercial pricing agreed. SLA’s not agreed nor consistent across vendors. Recommend review after 6 months of in-service.

Life cycle Management

Limit to frequent UC’s. Workarounds

AMBER Lost and Stolen not fully implemented across systems. Update needed to IT back end.

Transition Assign full time PM GREEN PM assigned but requires prioritisation.Eg to get Local to Group Service Desk running.

Commercial Accept interim risk on possible returns

RED Change in pricing notification not issued.Requires fast track agreement with Vendor.CVM campaign aborted – requires SLT sign-off


managing difficult stakeholders - how to

Leadership & Management