IST-Engage Stakeholders

Adoption Curve: Early adopters are influential and often opinion leaders who others look to for guidance. Their buy-in can greatly accelerate the acceptance of the change by others in the organization.  Involving early adopters is essential. These individuals help shape the change process by providing valuable feedback and acting as champions who build collective support for the change. Their visible endorsement reduces resistance and persuades others to follow.

Managing Transitions: Stakeholders might still be in the Ending phase as they confront the reality of change. This is when they may feel anxious about how the change affects them, particularly if they haven’t been adequately involved.

Potential Resistance:

• Fear of Being Left Out: Some may resist due to feeling sidelined or undervalued.
• Overload or Confusion: Stakeholders could resist if they feel overwhelmed by information or unclear on how the change will affect them.
• Loss of Control: Some may fear losing autonomy or influence over the process.

Strategies for Overcoming Resistance: 

• Facilitate engagement by helping stakeholders articulate their concerns and participate in shaping the change process. The change manager can create opportunities for dialogue, ensuring stakeholders feel heard, which can help them start to let go of old systems and ease their transition.
• Proactively identify key stakeholders and engage them early to help them feel involved.
• Utilize personas to help identify the varied aspects of how stakeholders might be impacted.
• Use leaders within teams as advocates to create peer support networks.
• Organize listening sessions to gather feedback and show that concerns are being heard.

Key Actions

• Identify Stakeholders: Conduct a thorough analysis to identify all groups and individuals directly or indirectly impacted by the change, including employees, departments, external customers, and business partners. Ensure you capture diverse perspectives across functions, roles, and levels of seniority.
• Involve Leaders-among-peers: Engage influential employees and “natural leaders” within teams who are trusted by their peers. These individuals are instrumental in spreading the message of change, answering questions, and fostering a positive attitude toward the initiative.  Encourage these peer leaders to take ownership of certain aspects of the change, empowering them to act as local advocates and problem-solvers.
• Foster Awareness: Communicate clearly and frequently to ensure all stakeholders understand the rationale behind the change, why it is necessary, and the specific problems it aims to address. Use multiple channels (e.g., emails, town halls, team meetings, one-on-ones) to deliver consistent messages that resonate with different groups. Tailor the messaging to address the specific needs and concerns of each stakeholder group.
• Build Stakeholder Buy-in: With ongoing communication, actively engage stakeholders to help them understand the benefits of the change. Utilize the key messaging developed in aligning sponsors and leaders. Highlight success stories and early wins to illustrate positive impacts. Creating opportunities for stakeholders to express their thoughts can enhance their commitment to the initiative.
• Establish Feedback Mechanism: Facilitate open dialogue through focus groups, workshops, or feedback sessions where stakeholders can share their concerns, suggestions, and expectations. Actively listening to their input fosters a sense of value and ownership, and increasing their willingness to support the change.  Incorporate stakeholder feedback into decision-making where possible, and communicate back how their input has influenced the process. This helps build transparency and trust, empowering stakeholders to feel like active participants in the transformation.
• Address Resistance Early: Identify potential areas of resistance by actively engaging with stakeholders, listening to their concerns, and addressing fears or misconceptions.  Develop a strategy to respond to common objections or concerns in a constructive way, ensuring that issues are dealt with before they escalate.
• Develop Communication Plan: Design a targeted communication and training strategy that meets the specific needs of each stakeholder group, ensuring they feel prepared and supported through the transition. Communication Opportunity: Engage EARLY and OFTEN

Communication Opportunity

Sponsor communicates: The Big Why

• Shares why this change is occuring
• Shares a clear picture of what success looks like in the end state

Direct manager communicates: Day-to Day – What, How, and Reinforces Why

• How the change will impact day-to-day operations
• What is changing and what will remain the same
• Risks with not changing
• Benefits of changing

Outcomes

• Increased Engagement and Support for the Change: Stakeholders across the organization feel actively involved in the process, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment to the success of the initiative.
• Reduced Resistance: By engaging stakeholders early and addressing their concerns, resistance to the change is minimized, leading to a smoother and faster adoption process.
• Formation of a Grassroots Network of Change Advocates: A network of peer leaders and change champions emerges, amplifying the message of change, and encouraging broader support across the organization.
• Improved Feedback Loop: Continuous feedback from stakeholders allows for adjustments to the change initiative in real-time, ensuring it remains relevant and impactful throughout its implementation.
• Increased Trust and Transparency: Clear, honest communication with stakeholders helps build trust and reinforces the credibility of the change initiative, enhancing its chances for long-term success.

Roles and Scalability

Project Size	Key Communications	Outcomes	Change Manager Role	Change Leader Role
Small	Engage a small number of directly impacted stakeholders through informal meetings.	Minimal resistance and quick stakeholder alignment.	Identify key stakeholders and lead informal discussions to gauge their perspectives and gather input.	Provide visible support for stakeholder engagement, ensuring that the right individuals are involved.
Medium	Involve cross-functional teams and hold formal meetings to address concerns and gain input.	Broader support and smoother transitions across teams.	Manage stakeholder engagement efforts, scheduling formal focus groups and ensuring feedback is integrated into project plans	Empower cross-functional leaders to engage their teams and ensure that their voices are heard in the decision-making process.
Large	Develop an extensive stakeholder engagement plan and create dedicated change networks.	High engagement across all levels, creating strong organizational buy-in.	Lead a structured stakeholder engagement process, establishing networks of change champions and ensuring continuous dialogue with a large group of stakeholders.	Oversee the development of stakeholder networks, ensuring that key influencers across the organization are actively engaged and contributing to change efforts.

Training

LinkedIn Learning Path: 

• The importance of enrolling early in managing change
• Engage your team in the change
• Engaging stakeholders
• Identify your stakeholders
• Build a coalition

Tools/Resources

Sample communication to engage stakeholders

Sample Communication Plan Worksheet

Pro Tip: Repeat, repeat , repeat: The Big Why and key message. You don’t necessarily have to increase the quantity of messages, if there is a communication opportunity, include the Big Why and key messages

Checklist

• Identify influential early adoptors who can champion the change and include them early in the process to provide input and feedback.
• Establish a communication plan and identify people to be responsible and accountable for items on the plan.
• Establish a feedback mechanism.