When we manage a project, it is always crucial to secure the buy-in from our stakeholders, no matter they are senior management, end-users or implementation team members. I would also describe this as the fundamental element in stakeholder management. A project would never be successful if our stakeholders were not committing to the projects.
Identifying Stakeholders
Identifying stakeholders is always a critical step in project management and business planning, it enables a clear understanding of the needs, expectations, and potential impact on project success.
So, who are the stakeholders? Any individuals or groups that are impacted by the process or the outcome of a project would be the stakeholders. They could either be within or out of the organization. A stakeholder registry would always be helpful for a project manager throughout the implementation.
Get buy-in from stakeholders
The support from stakeholders is one of the key to project success. By getting the buy-in, we could make sure everyone are on the same page, facilities the collaboration and communication, and allow a wiser decision considering different perspective.
There are few approaches to secure stakeholders’ buy-in:
- Understand your audience
Understanding your audience’s perspective is critical, we shall always take ourselves’ into others shoes. Typically, I start from understanding their purpose, concerns and characteristics, analyzing their roles within the business, and I could then tailored the messages to convince them. - Build a strong case
When we start a project, there is always the project goal. We have to understand what problem the project is going to solve, and build a compelling case that is related to the corresponding stakeholders. Data and KPI would be helpful in supporting the business case. - Engage and involve
A well created communication plan at early stage would help. We shall seek for the input from stakeholders. Once they get involved, they are contributing with sense of belongings. At the same time, we could also build consensus among the team accordingly to avoid sudden resistance. - Build trust and celebrate success together
Through open communication, transparency, and active listening, we aim to build the trustful relationship among the team with all of us aiming the same goal. And, we shall recognize the hard work and effort, celebrate together not only on project delivery, but also on achieving milestones could ensure stakeholders understand the progress and be recognized.
Final words
We can never do a project by our own. A project would always be impacted by others during the implementation and after completion. When you have buy-in from stakeholders, it increases the likelihood of project success.