Who are your Stakeholders

Who are your stakeholders in the alliance?

When you are working with alliances, this adds an extra level of complexity in identifying your stakeholders. In an alliance, they will include people who are part of the collaboration project. Your stakeholders will still also include your direct manager and some people in your upper management. However also people in other parts of the organisation who are involved in, or affected by the collaboration project, are part of your stakeholders.

How to keep the overview in a complex network of stakeholders?

This increased complexity in alliances enhances the need to create a clear overview for yourself. I like to think in circles when identifying stakeholders. I draw a mind-map to map them out. At the centre I look at the core team and the next circle contains the extended team. The third circle shows people in your own organisation who are affected by the project, and the fourth circle shows the affected people on your partner’s side. By thinking in circles, I aim to bring the stakeholder complexity back to a simple approach. It allows you to check if all stakeholders are involved on every level.

The importance of stakeholder management

The importance of stakeholder management is twofold. On the one hand, you want to ensure that they are adequately informed. On the other side, you want to hear from them and solicit their input or feedback. When you engage with your stakeholders, it will both benefit you and them. For the best results, a conscious strategy on stakeholder management is a wise choice.

Learn more about the subject

To help you get the most out of the relationship with your stakeholders, I wrote a series of blogposts on this subject. If you would like to know more on who your stakeholders are, how to engage them and how to know what they need, these are interesting reads!