One of the most common and simple tools for stakeholder mapping is the power-interest grid. This tool helps you classify your stakeholders based on their level of power (how much they can affect your project) and their level of interest (how much they care about your project). You can use a simple matrix with four quadrants: high power-high interest, high power-low interest, low power-high interest, and low power-low interest. By placing your stakeholders in the appropriate quadrant, you can determine how to approach them. For example, you should focus on managing the expectations and needs of the high power-high interest stakeholders, while keeping the low power-low interest stakeholders informed.
Another useful tool for stakeholder mapping is the influence-impact map. This tool helps you assess your stakeholders based on their level of influence (how much they can sway others) and their level of impact (how much they are affected by your project). You can use a similar matrix with four quadrants: high influence-high impact, high influence-low impact, low influence-high impact, and low influence-low impact. By assigning your stakeholders to the relevant quadrant, you can decide how to involve them. For example, you should engage and consult the high influence-high impact stakeholders, while monitoring and supporting the low influence-high impact stakeholders.
A third tool for stakeholder mapping is the stakeholder onion diagram. This tool helps you visualize your stakeholders based on their proximity and relationship to your project. You can use a circular diagram with concentric layers, representing different levels of involvement and interest. The innermost layer is your core team, followed by the key stakeholders, the secondary stakeholders, and the external stakeholders. By drawing your stakeholder onion diagram, you can identify the gaps and overlaps in your stakeholder groups, and plan your communication and engagement strategies accordingly.
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The stakeholder onion diagram helps you visualize the different layers of stakeholder involvement. What's great about this tool is that it prompts you to consider stakeholders who might not be immediately obvious. But don't let the outer layers deceive you - even seemingly distant stakeholders can have a significant ripple effect on your project.
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The stakeholder onion diagram’s challenge lies in oversimplifying complex relationships among stakeholders. It might not capture the dynamic nature of their roles or adequately represent intricate interdependencies. This static view could overlook changing positions and crucial connections, requiring continual updates to ensure accuracy.
A fourth tool for stakeholder mapping is the stakeholder analysis template. This tool helps you collect and organize detailed information about your stakeholders, such as their name, role, expectations, interests, concerns, communication preferences, and potential risks or issues. You can use a simple table or spreadsheet with columns for each category, and rows for each stakeholder. By filling out your stakeholder analysis template, you can gain a deeper understanding of your stakeholders, and tailor your messages and actions to suit their needs and preferences.
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I always map client goals in a Stakeholder Persona. So I can help clients achieve their goals at FounderDesignThinking.com. But also so I can match them to other client's goals. So I can connect them to amplify their power. Even to reduce risks. The Power and Influence maps are less helpful. Because most of the time it's obvious. Goals, uncovering how they align to company strategy, beat competitors -- goals are hidden gold ;) -jz
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The stakeholder analysis template faces challenges in keeping stakeholder information updated and accurate as their details evolve. Managing a substantial amount of data might lead to information overload, necessitating a focus on crucial details to maintain its practicality.
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For Stakeholder Analysis and mapping i had to look into the various organisations that are very important and least important to our organisation. The analysis involved the legislative framework especially the laws that had an impact on the organisation. The Ministry of Finance had undergone transformation were planners had to join a different ministry ,this then gave me an opportunity to ask every department to give me their interactions and meetings and their importance .
A fifth tool for stakeholder mapping is the stakeholder persona. This tool helps you create a realistic and empathetic profile of your key stakeholders, based on their characteristics, motivations, goals, challenges, and pain points. You can use a creative format, such as a card, poster, or infographic, with a photo, name, and description of your stakeholder persona. By crafting your stakeholder persona, you can humanize your stakeholders, and design your project or initiative with their perspective in mind.
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At times, we undertake projects with the assumption that the end result will be valuable. We heavily rely on a steering group to validate the assumption. Empathy mapping offers an approach to validate the need or the desirability element with the actual user persona.
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Creating stakeholder personas is a deep dive into empathy. It's about viewing stakeholders as individuals rather than just roles, which can be really valuable when dealing with a diverse group of stakeholders. The only downside is that it can be quite time-consuming, so it might not be necessary for every project.
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The stakeholder persona tool faces challenges in maintaining accurate representations of stakeholders over time. There’s a risk of oversimplifying complex individuals and creating stereotypical profiles. Ensuring the personas remain current demands ongoing updates based on verified information to accurately reflect stakeholders’ evolving characteristics and perspectives.
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Stakeholder Personas involve creating fictional characters that represent different stakeholder archetypes. This method humanizes stakeholders, making it easier to empathize with their needs and tailor communication strategies accordingly. This can be used for empathy mapping as well.
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What has not been mentioned is of course that success to stakeholder engagement is not the planning but the doing. Going out and meeting people in groups and individuals, being present at conferences and workshop, going out of your comfort zone and also visiting different parts of the country, talk to your adversaries and the competition, take risks, go into uncomfortable areas, make friends, don’t just talk to your colleagues, help others, make connections and constantly think bigger picture and listen, listen, listen. Empathy and conversational skills are key! Stakeholder engagement is NOT a desk based PMO function.
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Regularly evaluate the outcomes of your engagement activities and adjust your strategies accordingly. Solicit feedback from stakeholders to understand their level of satisfaction and identify areas for improvement. Remember that stakeholder mapping is a dynamic process, and it's important to be flexible and responsive to changing stakeholder dynamics and needs.
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One thing I've also found helpful is knowing stakeholder engagement is not just about quantity but also about quality and impact. So, considering the relevant stakeholders whose interests and expertise align closely with the objective of the program and engaging those who can help bridge connections with other key stakeholders through their network is equally important.
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Effective stakeholder management is a mix of the right information, investment of time and using one's EQ. One should not lose sight of the human aspect while engaging with stakeholders. It is also important to keep one's analyses and information up-to-update as stakeholder relationships evolve and require different level of focus in different situations.
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The « tripolarity model » is another one. The model is based on a dynamic assessment of stakeholders’ individual and collective influence on a given goal. The primary key of the model is the intensity of engagement of each stakeholder, which gives its either positive, negative or neutral polarity. It is then complemented with additional parameters such as the intrinsic importance, the number and quality of connections, and the intention.
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