2D Engage Key Influencers & Leaders

PurposeStakeholder Management involves identifying all the groups of people involved in or impacted by the change ("stakeholders"), their target change state (e.g. awareness, general understanding, personal understanding, acceptance, adoption and ownership) and then managing their journey to the desired end-point via involvement and innovative two-way communications.The primary objective of Stakeholder Management is to guide each group toward commitment for the change; secondary objective is to ensure consistency of messages across the project and business. Productive engagement of stakeholders from across the group will be critical to successful transformation.The Stakeholder Assessment worksheet is used across the entire lifecycle of the project. This worksheet is used to: � Establish the change network� Set and monitor commitment level goals� Ensure that the needs of the stakeholders are met Directions1. Use the Stakeholder Assessment form to identify all stakeholders� groups for the project. A. Enter the key stakeholders by name, title, and hierarchy. B. Identify Authorizing Sponsor, Reinforcing Sponsors, Change Advocates, Change Agents and External Stakeholders. Authorizing Sponsor: An Authorizing Sponsor is an individual (one person) with the authority, resources, and accountability to call for and support the change. Reinforcing Sponsors: Reinforcing Sponsors are leaders that are responsible for moving targets up the Commitment Curve. They are ultimately responsible for the sustainment of the change within their workgroup. Influencers: Influencers are advocates of the change and are found in roles outside of the impacted department or function. These individuals may be at different levels within the organization and work as catalysts to influence others to adopt the changes introduced by the project. Change Agents: Change Agents facilitate change. They are process owners, technical experts, and/or staff support who are competent, influential, and/or have a clear understanding of the business and its future direction. Targets: Targets change. From the most senior person impacted by the change to everyone else throughout the organization and outside the organization, these are the people impacted by the change. External Stakeholders: People or organizations that may be impacted or may have influence by the change (i.e. Suppliers, Clients/Customers, Distributors, etc.). E. Enter the number of Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) for each stakeholder group. F. Enter the physical location for each stakeholder. G. Identify the appropriate Stakeholder Owner(s) for each stakeholder group. � The Stakeholder Owner should be in a leadership position and have influence over the stakeholder(s). The Stakeholder Owner is responsible moving the stakeholders up the Commitment Curve by delivering communication and soliciting feedback from the stakeholders. H. Enter the degree of impact that the change will have on each stakeholder group. I. Indicate the level of influence on the change that each stakeholder group will have. J. Assess where each stakeholder group is relative to the Commitment Curve. 1. Contact: Individuals have heard about the change. 2. Awareness: Individuals are aware of basic scope and concepts of change. 3. Understanding: Individuals understand the change impacts to the organisation and their functional area. 4. Positive Perception: Individuals understand change impacts and benefits to them. 5. Experimentation: initial trial of the new way of thinking and behaving. 6. Adoption: Individuals are willing to work with and implement the change. 7. Institutionalization: The change is the way work is done � the new status quo. 8. Internalization: Individuals make the change their own and create innovative ways to use and improve. K. Determine where each stakeholder group should end up on the Commitment Curve. 2. Using the Stakeholder Interview form, the Stakeholder Owner will interview each stakeholder with the goal of identifying potential concerns, implications, and motivations. A. Document the stakeholder�s concerns B. List the stakeholder�s motivation C. Enter the potential implications3. Identify potential communication tactics and key messages that will move the stakeholders up the Commitment Curve.4. Continue to update the Stakeholder Assessment worksheet during the entire lifecycle of the project. Be sure to monitor the mindsets of each stakeholder and revise the communication plan accordingly.