Business Disability Forum - Managing difficult Conversations.pdf
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Transcript of Managing difficult stakeholders - how to...
Jeff Gardner
How to manage difficult stakeholders
Difficult stakeholders – how to manage..
The Business Issue
How I resolved it
The ‘difficult stakeholder’
Jeff Gardner Slide No. 1
The Business Issue
Slide No. 2 Jeff Gardner
The Business Issue - Context
Jeff Gardner
• Business Issue ; statement (Voice of stakeholder #1)“We have no confidence that the promised Service
Operating Model will be in place in time for the Service launch. Our Service Operations and Customer Services simply won’t be ready and we have no fallback option”
• Consequence statement (Voice of stakeholder #2)
“If action is not taken immediately we will have no choice but to postpone the launch indefinitely”
Slide No. 3
How I resolved it
Slide No. 4 Jeff Gardner
How I resolved it - ‘My approach’
Jeff Gardner
• In seeking the Exec’s buy-in to me resolving the issue, my chosen approach followed 4 key activities :-
1) Seek Exec’s consensus of the ‘as is’ situation 2) Gain understanding of the exec’s perspectives of
the situation, the business impacts and desired goal 3) Propose ideas and gain consensus on what to take
forward and personally lead the discussions 4) Propose, agree & clarify next steps to achieve the
outcome and lead the activities Slide No. 5
Understand Exec’s
perspectiveWhat does ‘good’ look
like to Exec’s?
How can we measure Exec’s
satisfaction?
Seek all Exec’s
viewpoint
How I resolved it...1) ‘Seek to understand’
“These are the likely impacts and effects..”
“It will be achieved when I can see that...... has happened and also that...”
“I require these..... to be in place... and by......... date”
“This is what I see the issue being about..... “
Start
Outcome
I ran this process with exec’s until I had the full picture
Jeff Gardner Slide No. 6
Jeff Gardner
• Taking into account the Exec’s input, I put forward ideas outlining the following :- 1) Benefits 2) Barriers3) Consequences 4) Time/Cost to implement
• I briefed each of the exec’s individually and then collectively in seeking their agreement/approval on which idea to take forward
• I developed an exec’s management/reporting plan*• I worked consultatively with the exec’s and managers
* See back up slides #15 & 16 Slide No. 7
How I resolved it...2) ‘Ideas & Execution’
Jeff Gardner
• After 6 weeks the issue was resolved with an agreed list of concessions and risk managed items
• Subsequently the Service was launched successfully although with a minor delay
• The ‘lessons learned’ were documented for future launches (‘ask’ of Stakeholder #2)
Slide No. 8
How I resolved it...3) ‘The end result’
The difficult stakeholder (Exec)
Slide No. 9 Jeff Gardner
Jeff Gardner
• One Exec (Stakeholder #2) had a high interest and strong position. • With more ‘at stake’ their chosen style was to object to proposals thereby pushing
others to compromise• Recognising this I adapted both my inter-personal skills and stakeholder management style
accordingly :- 1. I invested time to reflect on the needs and anxieties that underlined their
position2. I expended more effort and exerted more organisational pressure to satisfy
their needs3. I provided them with additional transparency on impacts, consequences and
mitigations4. I escalated their issues/concerns more frequently for quick turnaround5. I frequently communicated and met with them/their team to provide updates
and to consult on proposals6. I adopted an empathetic attitude toward her predicament/concerns7. I prioritised their needs ;when appropriate and with managers approval
Difficult Exec - ‘How I managed’
Slide No. 10
- back up data
Slide No. 11 Jeff Gardner
Jeff Gardner
• Stakeholder management is pro-actively interacting with persons, groups and/or organisations to align interests and positions relative to a specific change or outcome you are owning eg through a Project.
• The stakeholders interests are championed by a nominated individual, group or organisation whom the stakeholder trusts and delegates authority to act on their behalf.
• In return the stakeholder is regularly engaged and
appraised on delivery status, progress risks and issues according to pre-agreed criteria.
Stakeholder - ‘the definition’
Slide No. 12
Jeff Gardner
• Depending on the impact to and importance of the stakeholder, the interaction level is appropriately scaled :-
high value stakeholders = strong buy-in medium > high value stakeholder = active consultationmedium to low value stakeholder = maintain interestlow value stakeholder = kept informed
• Stakeholder’s can affect actions, outcomes and influence results and therefore must be managed sensitively
Best practice stakeholder management
Slide No. 13
Slide No. 14 Jeff Gardner
Stakeholder Management - Matrix
AcknowledgeMonitor
Manage Involve
Low High
Low
Hig
h
Impo
rtan
ce o
f sta
keho
lder
con
trib
ution
/Po
tenti
al im
pact
to st
akeh
olde
r
Collaboration interests
Exec’s Management Plan Exec’s/Stakeholders Position Interest Influence Knowledge
LevelEngagement level
Head of XXXXXXXX Services Supportive Medium Medium Medium High
Head of XXXXXX Operations Supportive High High Low Medium
Head of XXXXXXX Services Supportive High High Medium Low
Head of XXXXXXXXX* Neutral Medium Low Medium Low
Head of XXXXXXXXX** Resistant High High High High
Group Head of XXXXXXXX Supportive High High High Medium
Group Head of XXXXXXXXX Supportive Medium High Medium Medium
Exceptions**Manage Closely/Prioritise needs* Increase engagement Jeff Gardner Slide No. 15
Exec/stakeholder – Weekly report Work stream Proposed idea Status/Progress
Customer Services
Train the trainer RED Training late, recommend HQ based training followed by regional call centres.
Retail Operations
Implement oline/distant sales
GREEN WEB development on track. Push campaign - changes to IT back end needed to trigger
Service Operations
Set up Vendor as Tier 2
AMBER Commercial pricing agreed. SLA’s not agreed nor consistent across vendors. Recommend review after 6 months of in-service.
Life cycle Management
Limit to frequent UC’s. Workarounds
AMBER Lost and Stolen not fully implemented across systems. Update needed to IT back end.
Transition Assign full time PM GREEN PM assigned but requires prioritisation.Eg to get Local to Group Service Desk running.
Commercial Accept interim risk on possible returns
RED Change in pricing notification not issued.Requires fast track agreement with Vendor.CVM campaign aborted – requires SLT sign-off
Jeff Gardner Slide No. 16