Stakeholder management; cartoonesque?

We're Off To See The Wizard - SWOC

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Stakeholder engagement: all about conversation..

Interesting post on one of my favorite blogs;

Why I Focus On Conversations (The Project Shrink)

All about proper stakeholder engagement on a micro level!

What the heck is stakeholder management?!

"The degree of success of a project is the combined degree of satisfaction of all stakeholders." 

(Association for Project Management)

There's much debate about what exactly the abstract concept of stakeholder management actually constitutes.

Mostly, as I experienced in project management practice, stakeholder management is associated to day to day unconscious shaping of communication towards people involved in the project or project result.

It appears to be constituted mainly synonymously to expectation management;


“Stakeholder management is the process of managing the expectation of anyone that has an interest in a project or will be effected by its deliverables or outputs,” as Project Smart defines it.

The Association for Project Management defines stakeholder management more from a more instrumental perspective, as 

"the systematic identification, analysis and planning of actions to communicate with, negiotiate with and influence stakeholders."

This definition is one of the most comprehensive description found in literature; it emphasizes the systematic nature of the processes and the focus on potential to influence the stakeholder environment of a project.

Linking this definition to the definition of a project's success, stresses the importance of embedding stakeholder management in daily project management routines.

In our research, we also consider stakeholder management as a continuous, embedded process of identification, analysis, prioritization and engagement of stakeholders relevant for the project or its results, by planning focussed activities. We call this the iterative IAPEM cycle of stakeholder management, as visualized below.

Stakeholder management like flying a plane?!

On the yearly conference of the International Association for Management of Technology (www.iamot.org), I spoke about the theoretical framework of my research relating to stakeholder management.

To illustrate the tough theoretical subject, I made the comparison of managing stakeholders during innovation implementation projects like trying to land a brand new plane from an airtraffic controller (project team) point of view.

You can find the attached powerpoint presentation held, where the comparison is fully explained.
Basically, with the introduction of new information technology e.g., we are asking the pilot to fly a new plane with new procedures (no visual flight rules, a new autopilot, etc.) and new technology.

It clearly indicates that air traffic control needs various instruments in order to land the plane safely, in addition to pre-flight training and education.
The main tools of an air-traffic controller include communication tools and a radar.

In the presentation, I argue the same holds for managing stakeholders in an innovation implementation project; insights in the stakeholder environment and the movement of stakeholders in this environment is crucial in order to land planes safely and avoid collision.

The need for a Stakeholder Acceptance Radar is clearly argued and a connecting tool, as a result of my research, is presented.

I hope you will find the attached presentation inspirational in trying to scan your own stakeholder environment, like a traffic controller....

Presentation Proceedings IAMOT2011