How do you manage the expectations of stakeholders with varying levels of influence in the change process?

Make sure to include in Stakeholder list the ones directly and indirectly influenced by the project (primary and secondary stakeholders). Next, search for key stakeholders who might not be in the previous groups, but who can influence on the project, or who are important within or to an organization (holding high positions in organization hierarchy, key business partners, government agencies, etc). In some business projects even families of employees and landlords of commercial real estate might be stakeholders.

There are two key indicators to look out for which I recommend when starting to identify stakeholders who can help to accelerate the change: 1. Friends - Where are your working buddies that you already have good relationships with? Bringing those on board is a great way to keep yourself motivated and to tap into their areas. 2. "Keen beans" - Find those that have been waiting for the change, want to get actively involved & likely understand that it will be a long journey, not just a destination. As a usual keen bean myself, I have experienced & driven a lot of change myself & these two key groups of individuals will help you to continously identify other stakeholders you need to bring on board & keep the momentum going.

It is important to ensure that the needs of all stakeholders in the project are balanced. To accomplish this, it is necessary to first identify the stakeholders. Then, their needs and expectations must be given the attention they deserve. Some stakeholders may have more influence on the project's success from a financial perspective, while others may be the end users or implementors. Therefore, it is crucial to balance the needs of all stakeholders and, if necessary, address them separately to ensure that their needs are properly understood and clarified.

To manage stakeholder expectations with varying influence in the change process, start by identifying each stakeholder's level of influence and interest. Tailor communication to match their needs: provide detailed updates to high-influence stakeholders and broader overviews to others. Establish clear, realistic goals and timelines, ensuring transparency about potential challenges. Engage stakeholders through regular meetings, soliciting their feedback and addressing concerns promptly. Foster trust by consistently delivering on promises and demonstrating how changes align with their interests. Balancing attentiveness and transparency ensures all stakeholders feel valued and informed.

Management, employees, customers, shareholders are the main stakeholders. There can be some third parties, partners or collaborators. Their interests need to be protected. Review and monitor progress continuously. See what is the gap. There is always one risk of people going back to the old traditions and processes. They feel being comfortable. Change disrupts the status quo. HR team should take lead and keep their eyes open. Talk to the people, review the implementation of change, discuss with teams, make sure there is no reversion to the old practices. See what goes wrong. Fix the issues. Resolve team's problems. It will be helpful.

In my experience, this important part often gets overlooked or focused on a little too late. Within inclusion & diversity (I&D), organisations often underestimate the power of holistic communication. While it is absolutely crucial to develop a communication plan with key stakeholders (e.g. Head of Marketing & needs of other Head of), it is equally important to dive into the psychology of communication & identify which messages need to reach which stakeholder group at which point. Too often policies are updated to reflect important & impactful changes but employees have no idea about it! In a similar way, ERGs, middle-management & other less obvious groups are often underutilised in the process. A lot to do here but a lot of opportunities!

Similarly to holistic, effective communication, this point often gets overlooked - or other stuff is prioritised! However, it is vital that we engage not only regularly with the diversity stakeholders but that we do so in creative ways through diverse channels & platforms. A top-down approach is equally important as a bottom-up approach to provide information, receive feedback & input. Organisations which are successful in this area, prioritise their people, create a psychologically safe space, embed inclusion & embrace diversity & subsequently ensure that all employees have the opportunity to play an active role along the journey. This doesn't mean telling everyone everything all the time, but it means more listening than telling!

We need to establish a platform for consistent engagement to facilitate regular progress feedback. This platform should be accessible to all stakeholders and the frequency of interactions should accommodate everyone. These updates can be communicated through face-to-face meetings, online meetings, status updates on online platforms, and other suitable means.

Regular engagement of the employees and management is important. Things should happen every day. Management should be kept informed. Highlight what is good in the change. It will make things easier.

Turn concerns into opportunities. Ask stakeholders about their needs and worries in the way to convert it into requirements. This way, the formulated requirements for the change management project can be addressed and incorporated well into project goals, project roadmap and risk management analysis. Valuable insights can be brought into communication strategy with other stakeholders, for example, at the step of user adoption to address common concerns and highlight problem solutions.

It's important to give every concern the attention it deserves to ensure the success of the project, including fostering teamwork. What may seem unimportant to one person could be significant to another, or it could potentially have a major negative impact later in the project. Therefore, it's crucial to provide reasons for accepting, rejecting, or adjusting suggestions or project inputs.

The power/interest grid framework is an extremely beneficial tool that can help manage stakeholders and their expectations. - Stakeholders with high power and high interest in the project: constantly engage and communicate with them - Stakeholders with high power and low interest in the project: actively consult them and seek their advice - Stakeholders with low power and high interest in the project: keep them informed and maintain their interest - Stakeholders with low power and low interest in the project: maintain contact but the effort and time investment can be minimal