Are You Concerned About Stakeholder Ownership & Buy-in?

For any big project or ambitious strategy, the real danger is not that it won’t reach the finish line. But, that it gets there only to find that the finish line has moved. The needs and expectations of the project’s key stakeholders have changed and are NOT being met!

Here we explore strategies to ensure your project’s key stakeholders ownership and buy-in. That includes the role of solutions such as Pitstop Analytics.

Reaching The Finishing Line

The real danger for any project is not that it does not reach the finish line, but that it gets there only to find that the finish line has moved. The project’s key stakeholders are waiting elsewhere, and they are not happy!

The moving finish line is a particular risk for big initiatives, where business and stakeholder needs, as defined at the start, may change significantly over the life of a project. This is increasingly to be expected in today’s fast changing environment.

Why are projects caught off guard by changing stakeholder needs and expectations? Perhaps stakeholders did not tell those running the project, or they were told but failed to listen.

Stakeholders on the Sidelines

Reaching the finish line becomes a lot more difficult when stakeholders are standing on the sidelines. We call it the stakeholder-bystander effect.

This stakeholder-bystander effect can happen because either those leading the project chose to keep stakeholders at a distance, or because stakeholders themselves chose to stay apart. Perhaps they are too busy, are distracted by other projects and priorities or they feel that their input is either unnecessary or unwelcome. Maybe it is just that they were not asked!

Leaving Stakeholders on the Sidelines

For many leaders, managing stakeholders means keeping them at arm’s length. That is because involving them can be a double-edged sword (or spanner, if we continue the finish line metaphor).

Let’s be honest: While it is dangerous not to involve stakeholders, involving them has risks too! The engagement could generate additional complexity (e.g. raising many questions or generating additional work). It could undermine the progress that has been made, or unravel what was previously agreed.

Moreover, the engagement with stakeholders could damage confidence and morale. After all, it is difficult to predict how a stakeholder might react – what they might say – especially if they were ‘having a bad day’. All this can leave project leaders thinking ‘it is best to leave sleeping dogs lie’.

Positive interactions with senior internal stakeholders cannot be taken for granted. That these busy high-status individuals will be measured, considered, or even respectful, in their engagement cannot be assumed either. Too often, the relationship feels like that of a parent talking to a child, rather than a meeting of equals.

Stakeholders – KSF or Risk

Stakeholders may chose to stay on the sidelines. Perhaps they are too busy, are distracted by other projects and priorities. However, while corporate leadership may delegate responsibility for the execution of a strategic initiative, it cannot abdicate responsibility for its success.

‘Stakeholders have a ‘stake’ in the game’ says one of our coaching partners. ‘But it is essential that they share in the responsibility too’ she adds.

To paraphrase the Spanish proverb: ‘Talking about bulls is not the same as facing them in the ring’.  This certainly applies to critical projects – it is too easy for certain stakeholders to stay on the sidelines:

• Highlighting problems, but not offering solutions.
• Holding the project team to the original budget or time line, even when the scope of the project has expanded.
• Wanting it all and not being prepared to make trade-offs or compromises.
• Commenting on what could or should be, without any responsibility for making it happen.
• Looking for written reports and slideshows on what is happening, rather than joining a project review.

When senior stakeholders are on the sidelines, projects and the people running them are denied one of the most valuable organizational resources – the experience and foresight of its senior leaders.

The Stakeholder Bystander Effect

Other factors that consign stakeholders to the side lines include:

• Busyness – both sides are very busy and may not have time.
• Hierarchy & functional silos – Reaching across functional boundaries isn’t easy.  The same applies, talking directly to those at the top of the hierarchy isn’t easy – there are so many layers to go through first.  
• Cumbersome ways of engagement (e.g., committees and presentations) that hinder speed and agility.
• A rigid approach to project scope, which makes deviating from the original project plan / objectives difficult. For example, to expand or adjust the scope may require a revision of the project plan and a series of committee meetings to get it signed-off. It is easy to underestimate the number & diversity of stakeholders required to deliver on complex projects. It is also easy to underestimate the challenges of engaging and aligning them.
• Having effective conversations about strategy and success isn’t easy.  In some organizations, it may not be safe for people to say what they are really thinking. This is particularly true in organizations that only do good news (what we call Project Pollyanna)
• A key time to engage stakeholders is in the foundational first mile. However, in the rush to get projects started, the process of consultation and co-creation can be side-stepped.
• Distrust and suspicion. It is important to assume positive intent when engaging senior internal stakeholders. They want what is best for the organization and its people. Our challenge is to understand their position or perspective, as well as the level of pressure that they are under.

How to Accelerate Stakeholder Buy-in

So the need for stakeholder ownership and engagement is clear, but how to make it work? The process starts with finding out what they are actually thinking. Also, what they really want. However, senior stakeholders are busy and time starved, thus the requirement to engage them effectively and at speed.

The solution is Pitstop Analytics. In 15 minutes online, stakeholders share their perspective. Then, the technology does the rest. You get full insight into what your key stakeholders are really thinking. Also, into how their views on the project or transformation initiative compare to your own.

Importantly, you get a road map to transform stakeholders from bystanders into active participants & supporters, too. For a demo or to find out more, contact us.