Do you work in stakeholder engagement? Tick. Do you enjoy gifts? Tick (who doesn’t). Well, to be honest, that’s all you need to get some joy from this festive round-up of practical gifts your stakeholder engagement team definitely need.
We all know that stakeholder engagement is the gift that keeps on giving: you get to understand who your stakeholders are, unlock the voices of the minority, gain insights and feedback into what you are doing right, or perhaps what you might be doing wrong… it’s exciting, fulfilling, and crazy!
Even though your stakeholders are a wealth of knowledge and expertise on project matters, sometimes, you just need a little help and support to really make the most of your engagement efforts.
So, we thought we would wrap up the top five gifts you should really consider purchasing before this year is over.
1. One Time Machine
We know time machines aren’t entirely accessible, yet. But, we do know how beneficial one could be to your team. Just imagine having the ability to alter time!
Time is one resource we can all agree is lacking. Whether it’s the amount of time we have available to plan, design, and launch a new engagement project or perhaps just the quick turnaround of stakeholder comms – it can go by, very fast. So we need to make sure we make the most of it!
Okay, so a time machine might not be feasible but, saving time searching for that one very specific spreadsheet is definitely a reality. A stakeholder management platform that has easy-to-use and customisable data capture tools to record and analyse a rich history of stakeholder interactions should do the trick.
2. Two Stress Balls
It turns out that stress balls actually deliver a string of benefits. Apart from the obvious relief of stress and tension, stress balls can act as a distraction device or improve concentration and creativity.
You see, the steps between planning and implementing a stakeholder engagement project can vary greatly. You might not run into a single roadblock and have a smooth sailing strategy in place, or you might run into the likes of a global pandemic that completely revolutionizes digital engagement (just saying, anything is possible).
Stakeholder management is all about ‘reading the room’ and Consultation Manager will help you to spot changes in sentiment and trending conversation topics before a situation unfolds. So, that means you only need two stress balls, and not 200.
3. Three Calendars (Minimum)
I’m sorry, I know, calendars and time kind of go hand-in-hand. But, at least you know to buy at least three calendars for your 2023. Why three? Having one for your team, one for the community and one for changes ensures that you’re being flexible and responsive to every stakeholder!
What might be a great time to launch an engagement project for your team, might not be a great time for your stakeholders. So, shifting the goalposts and ensuring you conduct your due diligence in terms of stakeholder priority and focus may help you gain additional engagement and feedback when willingness and motivation are high.
A stakeholder management platform can help you keep your finger on the pulse with powerful reporting and analytics tools. This will ensure you’re freeing up more time for your team to spend on strategy, planning, and relationship-building.
4. Four Magical Elves
This is simply a no-brainer. We all need magical elves to help review feedback, tag common themes, analyze sentiment and package up our data into tidy reports. I suggest you track down at least four to help.
If you aren’t able to find any magical elves, however, ensuring your stakeholder management platform has 24/7 support, live chat, and access to a dedicated customer success manager will definitely help.
5. Five Thousand Ready-to-Engage Stakeholders
In an ideal world, all of our stakeholders would be motivated to engage and contribute their insights at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Whether it’s a time commitment, inaccessibility, poor communication, or lack of trust, there are a few pivotal factors that might be inhibiting your engagement.
Our stakeholders’ time is incredibly precious, so we need to make sure our projects are transparent and our stakeholders feel valued. With Consultation Manager, you can account for a wide range of perspectives from your stakeholders and honestly communicate how they have impacted your decision. By connecting with these stakeholders, your openness will in-turn lead to increased engagement and feedback.
We hope you enjoyed our take on the top 5 gifts for your stakeholder engagement team. Stakeholder engagement can be fun, rewarding, and busy, so having a time machine, some magical elves, or even just a robust, centralised source of information with Consultation Manager will make your life a lot easier (we swear).
Reach out to our team today to understand how Consultation Manage can empower your engagement strategy and take your stakeholder management to new heights.
