Stakeholder Engagement During Change

Stakeholder Engagement Map for Sustainability 🌎 Sustainability advances when companies move from speaking to stakeholders toward building solutions with them. Engagement becomes powerful when it shifts from information-sharing to participation and co-creation. Employees are not passive recipients of corporate policies. When positioned as innovators and ambassadors, they can drive cultural change that scales faster than top-down initiatives. Investors increasingly evaluate not only financial returns but also resilience and impact. Open dialogue and credible disclosures create the foundation for financing models that reward long-term value creation. Regulators and policymakers shape the boundaries of what is possible. Proactive collaboration ensures that emerging rules both protect society and enable business innovation. NGOs and civil society connect business with pressing social and environmental realities. Partnerships with them help translate global challenges into concrete, measurable corporate actions. Customers bring more than purchasing power. Through collaboration and product co-design, they accelerate the adoption of sustainable solutions and redefine what markets demand. Suppliers and partners extend responsibility beyond a single enterprise. Joint innovation in sourcing, standards, and technology transforms sustainability into a shared endeavor across the value chain. Communities ground sustainability in place. When businesses co-invest in local development, they secure trust and create ecosystems that benefit both society and the enterprise. Media and opinion leaders influence how actions are perceived. Transparent storytelling backed by evidence strengthens legitimacy and reinforces accountability. Academia and experts contribute the critical lens of science and independent validation. Engaging them ensures that strategies are rooted in knowledge, not convenience. Risk and resilience demand collective approaches. Working groups and cross-sector alliances elevate sustainability from individual commitments to systemic impact. True engagement means entering a space of shared design. It is in these interactions that sustainability moves from compliance to transformation, and from promises to outcomes. #sustainability #business #sustainable #esg

I spent $25K on a dinner last Tuesday. The $10 name tags generated more ROI than any marketing campaign we’ve ever run. We gave out metal name tags. Custom-engraved. Nothing fancy. I almost died of anxiety getting them shipped in time. But by Thursday, people were still wearing them around San Mateo. At totally different SaaStr events. That’s when I knew this wasn’t just another founder dinner. It was something people wanted to be identified with. No RSVP forms. No sales pitch. Just 90 hand-picked founders and product leaders packed into a single restaurant. And here’s what happened organically: - Small-group conversations spilled outside the restaurant until 10pm - A founder told me they solved a product problem during a chat at the bar - Two partnerships were formed between attendees who’d never met before Here’s what we learned about building genuine connections in an industry drowning in “networking events”: 1/ Create a momentary escape We rented out the entire restaurant. No outsiders. No agenda. Just a space for authentic conversation. 2/ Curate ruthlessly We personally invited those who would make the evening better for everyone in the room. 3/ Design for post-event connection Those engraved name tags became conversation starters days later. “Hey, weren’t you at the Recall.ai dinner?” Traditional marketing tracks every dollar. But building genuine community means letting go of immediate attribution. Three different attendees DM’d asked, “When’s the next one?” That’s the kind of community equity you can’t measure on a dashboard. What’s the most meaningful connection you’ve made at an event that wasn’t trying to sell you something?

In today’s fast-paced business environment, change is inevitable. Whether it’s implementing new technology, restructuring teams, or shifting company policies, change management is crucial for maintaining productivity and employee morale. However, one common mistake organizations make is trying to surprise employees with changes, hoping to catch them off guard and avoid resistance. Why Surprising Employees Doesn’t Work    1.   Lack of Trust: When employees are not informed about upcoming changes, they may feel that their input is not valued. This can erode trust between management and staff, making future changes even more challenging.    2.   Resistance to Change: People generally resist change when it is imposed without explanation or input. This resistance can manifest as decreased motivation, lower productivity, or even turnover.    3.   Confusion and Misinformation: Without clear communication, rumors and misinformation can spread quickly. This can lead to unnecessary anxiety and stress among employees. The Importance of Effective Communication Effective communication is the cornerstone of successful change management. Here are some reasons why it’s essential to communicate changes clearly and transparently:    1.   Builds Trust: Open communication helps build trust by showing that employees’ perspectives are valued. When employees feel included in the process, they are more likely to support the change.    2.   Reduces Anxiety: Clear explanations of what changes are happening and why can alleviate anxiety and uncertainty. Employees are better prepared to adapt when they understand the reasons behind the changes.    3.   Encourages Participation: Communicating changes early allows employees to provide feedback and suggestions. This not only improves the change process but also fosters a sense of ownership among team members.    4.   Improves Adaptation: When employees are well-informed, they can start preparing for the changes ahead of time. How to Communicate Changes Effectively    •   Early Notification: Inform employees about upcoming changes as soon as possible. This gives them time to process the information and prepare.    •   Clear Explanations: Provide clear reasons for the changes and how they will affect employees. Use simple language to avoid confusion.    •   Open Dialogue: Encourage feedback and questions. This helps address concerns promptly and builds trust.    •   Training and Support: Offer training or support to help employees adapt to new processes or technologies.    •   Follow-Up: Check in regularly to see how the changes are impacting employees and make adjustments as needed. In conclusion, change management should never be a surprise. Effective communication is not just a courtesy; it’s a necessity for successful change management. #effectivecommunication

🤔 Useful Questions For Stakeholder Interviews. With good questions to ask when interviewing stakeholders — to understand their needs, key goals, gather requirements and keep them on your side ↓ --- 🔶 1. Design For Listening, Not A Conversation One of the most impactful strategies that worked for me over the years is to design the entire conversation around listening to stakeholders, not speaking about them or even with them. And typically it all starts with only one single question: “Please guide me through the product and explain its key features.” There is no small talk, no introductory questions, no dancing around the topic, no deep-dive into my workflow. I merely explain that in the next 45 mins I'm trying to find severe problems that are worth solving, understand the context about these problems and project goals — and ask for a permission to record the screen for studying it later. This opens the conversation immediately — and then I pay attention to features highlighted, features skipped, and ask plenty of follow-up questions to understand the motivations and the goals that a stakeholder has. --- 🔹 2. My Stakeholder Interview Template Dear Ms. Krajewski, As a UX lead on the project, my team and I are currently in the process of discovery. As we start our work, we’d like to better understand your pain points, expectations and success criteria. 1. What’s the purpose of this project for you? [Interest, engagement] 2. Where does this project fit in your daily work? [Their perspective] 3. What’s the most important thing to get right? [Priorities] 4. How would you describe the target audience? [Their view] 5. If you could understand one thing about users, what would it be? 6. What important insights did you learn about users recently? 7. What does success look like for you and your team? [Metrics] 8. What challenges are top priorities for your team? [Pain points] 9. What’s the success criteria for the project? [Ideal outcome] 10. What constraints or frequent issues should we know about? [Risks] 11. What is your ideal level of engagement for the project? [Max] 12. Anything else you think nobody said to me yet? [Hidden troubles] 13. Is there anybody else who you think I should speak to? [Leads] --- ♦️ 3. The Real Insights Aren’t In These Answers I absolutely love Anton Sten's point that the real insights usually won’t live in answers to all these questions. They live in the follow-up questions and answers — and often in a way of how a stakeholder responds, what they leave out, and what they overstate or repeat a number of times. As designers, too often we see our clients and stakeholders as adversaries. Yet we rarely know how our stakeholders work, so we shouldn’t expect them to understand what we need either. The crucial part is to be genuinely curious, positive and engaged to elicit useful insights. “The other person will only stay engaged as long as you do, and they can sense when you check out.” Useful resources ↓

I was Wrong about Influence. Early in my career, I believed influence in a decision-making meeting was the direct outcome of a strong artifact presented and the ensuing discussion. However, with more leadership experience, I have come to realize that while these are important, there is something far more important at play. Influence, for a given decision, largely happens outside of and before decision-making meetings. Here's my 3 step approach you can follow to maximize your influence: (#3 is often missed yet most important) 1. Obsess over Knowing your Audience Why: Understanding your audience in-depth allows you to tailor your communication, approach and positioning. How: ↳ Research their backgrounds, how they think, what their goals are etc. ↳ Attend other meetings where they are present to learn about their priorities, how they think and what questions they ask. Take note of the topics that energize them or cause concern. ↳ Engage with others who frequently interact with them to gain additional insights. Ask about their preferences, hot buttons, and any subtle cues that could be useful in understanding their perspective. 2. Tailor your Communication Why: This ensures that your message is not just heard but also understood and valued. How: ↳ Seek inspiration from existing artifacts and pickup queues on terminologies, context and background on the give topic. ↳ Reflect on their goals and priorities, and integrate these elements into your communication. For instance, if they prioritize efficiency, highlight how your proposal enhances productivity. ↳Ask yourself "So what?" or "Why should they care" as a litmus test for relatability of your proposal. 3. Pre-socialize for support Why: It allows you to refine your approach, address potential objections, and build a coalition of support (ahead of and during the meeting). How: ↳ Schedule informal discussions or small group meetings with key stakeholders or their team members to discuss your idea(s). A casual coffee or a brief virtual call can be effective. Lead with curiosity vs. an intent to respond. ↳ Ask targeted questions to gather feedback and gauge reactions to your ideas. Examples: What are your initial thoughts on this draft proposal? What challenges do you foresee with this approach? How does this align with our current priorities? ↳ Acknowledge, incorporate and highlight the insights from these pre-meetings into the main meeting, treating them as an integral part of the decision-making process. What would you add? PS: BONUS - Following these steps also expands your understanding of the business and your internal network - both of which make you more effective. --- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐞 Enterprise Architecture abhors a vacuum—it thrives on stakeholder engagement. Often, architects jump into collaboration without first assessing one critical factor: • 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐄𝐀? Before strategy, frameworks, or roadmaps, 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 and 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. This will shape how you approach, gain buy-in, and drive outcomes. Here are 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 for aligning EA with stakeholders: 𝟏 | 𝐆𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐄𝐀 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 EA means different things to people, how can you align? Approach: * 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞. What do leaders think EA does? What experiences shape their view? * 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐀 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞. If a product saw EA as 'overhead,’ shift the conversation to ‘rapid decision-making.’ * 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. Finance, operations, and IT leaders have different concerns. Meet them on their terms. 👉 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: When you shape EA’s role based on their reality, it becomes relevant, not theoretical. 𝟐 | 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐄𝐀 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 EA isn’t all architecture, it’s solving business problems. Approach: * 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐊𝐏𝐈𝐬. Growth? Efficiency? Risk? Align EA contributions to what leadership interests. * 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭. Show architecture driving go-to-market, savings, or agility—over compliance. * 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞/𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬. If EA was a bottleneck, demonstrate accelerated decision-making instead. 👉 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: EA is a strategic enabler, not afterthought. 𝟑 | 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐄𝐀 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 EA works best in collaboration, not isolation. Approach: * 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. Decision-making improves when EA is a proactive presence. * 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 ‘𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐀’ 𝐭𝐨 ‘𝐜𝐨-𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.’ Stakeholders engage when architecture is a tool for their success. * 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐨𝐟𝐟. EA isn’t a pitch—it’s a dialog evolving with business. 👉 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: EA shaping decisions early rather than reacting later. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. Before pushing frameworks or models, assess 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐀 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲—and how to reshape that narrative to unlock its full potential. How do align EA stakeholders? Let’s discuss.👇 --- ➕ 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 Kevin Donovan 🔔    👍 Like | ♻️ Repost | 💬 Comment    🚀 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬’ 𝐇𝐮𝐛 👉 https://lnkd.in/dgmQqfu2

It is ten years since my first book 📚 'Sustaining Change in Organizations' was published by Sage. So in celebration of so many years writing about change here in no particular order are ten practical things to consider when implementing change: ✅ Engage stakeholders. Engaging stakeholder in change means shifting the power and agency of change from employer to employee. ✅ Ask people for their views, ideas, hopes and fears about change. The process of planned change will be much smoother if people are engaged early with it and are asked for input on issues that will affect their work. ✅ Focus on what will not change. Build in sources of stability by identifying and articulating which elements of the status quo will remain the same because people need to know what wil remain stable and not change as well as what will change. ✅ Power and politics affect all transformations. Map the political landscape of who will be affected, who can impact and who can influence the change and devise an action plan for engaging these different stakeholders. ✅ Change is an emotional process. Recognize and acknowledge the complexity of emotions that arise with a major change. ✅ Conversations are the engines of business transformations. Engage in and encourage dialogue throughout a change process. ✅ Failure is a necessary part of change. Recognize the learning from failure and share lessons learnt. ✅ Make change meaningful. For change to stick it has to be made personal by aligning it to what is of value to key stakeholders and highlighting what it means for them. ✅ Reduce the negative impact of change on wellbeing and mental health. Build wellbeing initatives into business transformations from the start and assess them: how many individuals are actively involved in them; what impact are the initiatives having; and are people applying the tools/techniques and sticking to them. ✅ Build a culture that embraces people-centric change. Process is important but people are more important when it comes to organizational change - put them at the heart of any transformation. Give them space to voice their concerns, fears, hopes and ideas. Listen and acknowledge their voices. #peoplecentricchange #leadingchange #managingchange

The sustainability pushback is doing us a favour. Here are four operational weaknesses it is exposing. You can't have a backlash without something worth pushing back against. The current "green-lash" isn't a sign of sustainability's weakness - it's proof of its power. But whilst the pushback was inevitable, its severity is partly self-inflicted. Those of us inside the movement have been negligent, and the critics have simply walked through the doors we left open. Four weaknesses stand out: 1) The ESG muddle. ESG began as a narrow tool for investors to make better risk-adjusted decisions. It was hijacked as a catch-all synonym for sustainability, conflating investor materiality with sprawling advocacy. Bringing E, S and G under one roof was supposed to break silos. It cemented them. Bursting the ESG bubble was overdue. 2) Climate tunnel vision. Climate is existential - but it is not the only existential issue. We've breached seven of nine planetary boundaries, yet climate swallows every COP, every risk register, every headline. Worse, the social costs of climate action were iced out for years, for fear of "giving ammunition" to sceptics. The opposite happened. We handed them the weapon ourselves. 3) The tyranny of silos and the treachery of lists. Everything environmental became climate. Climate became mitigation, not adaptation. Human rights shrank to due diligence; due diligence shrank to a checklist. We've built an agenda of tidy boxes and ever-longer lists, and forgotten the thing itself. The real strategic questions live in the spaces between - exactly where we've stopped looking. 4) Performing over performance. Greenwashing inflated the bubble; greenhushing now hides what still needs doing. Twins in a symbiotic dance, both corroding trust. Claims are cheap. Delivery is the only currency that still spends. The pushback stings. But it is also the sharpest invitation we've had in decades to rebuild sustainability on firmer, more operational ground. Do you agree? #sustainability #backlash #greenlash #remakingsustainability #ESG

Your brilliant work doesn't guarantee a promotion. One key stakeholder can block your entire path. "I deliver exceptional results, but the CTO just doesn't see my potential." A Sr. Director at a Fortune 500 tech company from Silicon Valley shared this during our coaching call. Her track record? Impeccable - she’d led teams of 100+, managed $120M in budgets, and delivered consecutive years of double-digit growth. But the path to VP remained blocked. ⚡ Here's what we uncovered in our first session: The blocker wasn't performance. It was influence. If you're doing great work but still feeling blocked, you're not alone. Here are 3 stakeholder mistakes that keep leaders stuck - and how my client shifted (and how you can too): 1️⃣ Treating all stakeholders equally The mistake: Overlooking who really controls your next move. ✅ What she did differently: She mapped her stakeholders by influence. She identified the CTO and 2 others as critical influencers and focused on their priorities and pain points. 💎 One strategic champion outweighs ten casual supporters. 2️⃣ Speaking your language, not theirs The mistake: Drowning leaders in technical details, hoping volume equals value. ✅ What she changed: She translated her impact into business outcomes the CTO valued. → "Our automation initiative cut costs by 23% and scaled to 3 new markets" 📊 3️⃣ Avoiding difficult conversations The mistake: Hoping time will fix misalignment. ✅ Her shift: She stepped into the tension with purpose: "What does success look like to you, and how can I deliver that?" → This wasn't just a question - it was a commitment. 🔄 The breakthrough In 90 days, the CTO became her biggest advocate. And his inner circle followed. ✨ The result: VP role + 19% raise in 7 months. Excellence gets you noticed. 👑 Strategic influence gets you promoted. 🎯 Want the full Stakeholder Influence Blueprint? Join 9,100 leaders getting it in this Saturday's issue of my weekly newsletter. Sign up below to make sure you don't miss it.

🎯 Don’t just prep for interviews. Map the decision-makers - and tailor your message for each one. This is where strong candidates become the clear choice. Because here’s the truth: Most people prep for the questions. Top performers prep for the audience. 👇 Here’s how: 👤 1. The Recruiter What they care about: → Are you qualified on paper and in person? → Are you aligned with salary and expectations? What to highlight: ✅ Relevant titles, skills, company types ✅ Clear communication and professionalism ✅ No red flags, good culture fit 💬 Example: “I’ve worked in similar fast-paced environments and understand the expectations around stakeholder management and delivery speed.” 👤 2. The Hiring Manager What they care about: → Can you solve their problems? → Will you make their life easier? What to highlight: ✅ Business results tied to your function ✅ Thought process behind decisions ✅ Experience with similar challenges 💬 Example: “When I joined X, we were struggling with [similar pain point]. I led [strategy] which resulted in [outcome] - and freed up my manager to focus on strategic work.” 👤 3. Cross-Functional Peers (Product, Ops, Finance) What they care about: → Will you collaborate well? → Do you understand their world? What to highlight: ✅ Communication style ✅ Experience working across silos ✅ Empathy and clarity 💬 Example: “I partnered closely with Finance to redesign our forecasting model - that alignment helped us prioritize more accurately and cut wasted spend by 18%.” 👤 4. Senior Leadership (VPs, C-level) What they care about: → Do you think like a leader? → Can you represent us externally and internally? What to highlight: ✅ Strategic thinking ✅ Business acumen ✅ Executive presence 💬 Example: “When our team hit a ceiling with user growth, I reframed the goal - shifting from acquisition to retention - and drove a cross-functional initiative that lifted net retention by 12 points.” 🧭 The mindset shift: - Don't prep the same way for every round. - Prep with stakeholder influence in mind. They’re not just evaluating your answers. They’re deciding: Can I see this person leading here, with us? 💬 Which type of stakeholder do you find most challenging to connect with in interviews? Follow me for more advanced job search strategies that help experienced professionals stand out - not burn out.