| Managing the stakeholders in the business activities | | | | someone on your team who is prepared to listen well |
| that you deliver is a vital part of the work of any | | | | and be empathetic to their cause. |
| manager. Even where you think that you might not | | | | Another - perhaps slightly hidden - benefit is the |
| have stakeholders, it's time to realize that you do. | | | | development your people will get when you show your |
| Stakeholders are any group or individual that will or | | | | trust in them to get involved with this important activity |
| might be affected by whatever it is that you do, be it a | | | | on your behalf. |
| project or just a simple bunch of activities that you and | | | | When you see the growth they show, as they are |
| your team are involved with. | | | | exposed to challenging situations and come through |
| Keeping stakeholders onside is critical if you want a | | | | the other side in one piece, you will really understand |
| smooth run to the successful conclusion of your | | | | the possibilities that stretching your people can offer. |
| activities. Preferably you have them on your side | | | | People development does not come when they are |
| helping you along the way. At worst, you want neutrals | | | | given tasks that are always comfortable. Performance |
| who are not actually going to get in your way. | | | | improves when they are given new experiences and |
| To manage stakeholders effectively, you need time, | | | | find learnings that they are thrown into, albeit with your |
| focus and great communication skills. For a manager, | | | | support - of course - from the sidelines. Learning by |
| this can, in some circumstances, be really demanding in | | | | experience is always the most potent. |
| terms of the amount of effort they have to make, not | | | | In saying this, where they are successful in managing |
| to mention the significant investment in time too. | | | | your stakeholders effectively, it's really useful for them |
| To help with this, where you have capable - or even | | | | when you acknowledge their effective contribution, |
| potentially capable - individuals on your team who are | | | | because it builds their confidence, as well as lifting their |
| able to chip in to support you, it's always going to be a | | | | motivation, both of which will be necessary as you |
| valuable contribution. | | | | grow the capabilities of your team overall. |
| They will share with the grunt work as a minimum and | | | | By making sure that those of your people who are |
| potentially there will be added value in the relationships | | | | on-side with the team effort get credit as the project |
| that they are able to create with the stakeholders | | | | moves on, your future advocates are created - and |
| themselves, who often will be happy to work with | | | | that will add value to your team for years to come. |