Engaging your stakeholders

What makes high performers tick?

What are the most important things for high achievers? What sort of things do they focus on? Are these important things different from the rest of us focus upon?

Several years ago we came across a discussion across blogs and discussion forums about whether high performers have some sort of internal mental checklist. The idea was that if we could find out what this was, distil it, codify it, and then copy it, we could all perform better.

If only …

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Our ‘Crib Sheet’ ResearchSo we conducted a study into people leading and managing change – project and program managers. Among this group were a sub-set who were regarded by their line managers has high performers.

Our research showed that these people did not have the same mental ‘checklist’ or ‘crib sheet’ but they did have markedly different thinking and behavioral patterns from the rest of our research population, and consistently so.

We did discover that all high performers were relatively more self aware – they found it relatively easier to explain what their priorities were. Whilst we were unable to prove that these checklists were all the same. However, we did find a behaviour trait that was highly significant …


A Bias to RelationshipsBy tracking subjects’ time over a period of several weeks, we observed how people spent their ‘discretionary’ time – time they could choose to spend, rather than being required or driven by others.

We found that the high performers were very different. They spent much of their discretionary time (40-80% compared to 8-16% among the rest) in relationships, talking to people. They seemed to seek out certain groups and individuals, and converse with them, sometimes with apparently uncertain outcomes. It appeared that the process of conversations with people in and around their change was seen as a crucial part of their success.


Engaging Your Stakeholder Workshop

As we presented our research findings to various conferences, people asked whether we would be running a course to teach people these higher competence behaviors.

Our response was ‘No’, not a course but a workshop. We don’t believe we can ‘teach’ these practices, but we can help people experience their power for themselves. We can facilitate situations where people can practice these approaches.


Immediate Results

By taking this workshop approach, the results have been very encouraging. Almost immediately, people have found that they have taken to the principles we shared. As they tried the practices we identified they invariable achieved very positive results.

People who had been resistant became allies. Valuable intelligence was gained that improved project performance, and generally productivity increased.

Here’s just one delegate’s comment:"Following the workshop I scheduled coffee with a colleague from another department ... He will be able to influence [his] group. I started with [applying one of the principles you shared. As a result] he’s setting up a focus group for me using his contacts and is behind the proposed approach." Group Marketing Manager


Collaborative Approach

The task of engaging your stakeholders doesn't need to rest all on your shoulders, nor should it. In this workshop you will explore how this is done within a team. You will discover how to mobilize and lead high performance teams in engaging a variety of stakeholders.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s

the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead


Engagement not management

We deliberately use the term "stakeholder engagement", not stakeholder management. With the engagement mindset, people are treated as people, not resources or blocks

The evidence is that this yields far better results. We help you move from a merely transactional approach to stakeholders towards a relational and collaborative approach.

Project success rates are dramatically increased, delays are reduced, and requirements met, through the counter-intuitive emphasis on engaging with people.


Your Challenges are the Content

This workshop is designed in such a way that you have opportunity to work on your own challenges with people in and around your project. Delegates leave with concrete practical steps on their projects, that can make an immediate difference to their success.

"Many thanks for the really useful and informative workshop yesterday in Oxford." Operational Manager


Avoids Irrelevant TheoryAs well as being practice-oriented, the material used in this workshop is principles-centred, in that we have identified for you a few key elements that always work. We have designed this workshop with a key learning objective of leaving you with the ability to take positive action immediately.

Every delegate who has participated in this workshop rated its usefulness to the future performance of their job as "Very useful' or "Extremely Useful".


Online Resource ForumWe have built and developed a growing and rich resource set that supports you after the workshop. This contains a number of relevant files, templates, case studies, and discussions, all of which are freely available to you after the workshop.

This is uniquely available to delegates on this workshop.


Expertly LedYou will find that your workshop leader is an experienced facilitator and subject matter expert. He or she will lead you through four key steps of our 7-step engagement model.

Our experience is that delegates gain more value from our workshop leader by practicing various techniques and exercises.

Although content-rich, at least 55% of the timetable is devoted to individual and group work, making this a deeply practical experience.

Over 83% of delegates felt that the facilitator answered their questions "Very well" of "Extremely well".

"The course was professionally presented and managed." Project Manager


A Practical Work Reference

One of our design aims was to avoid the usual arid PowerPoint copies so common in much management training. Instead you will be given a 110-page full-colour "Practical Handbook". This is used as your core reference on the workshop.

Our Handbook is designed and used as an ongoing practical reference for you after your workshop, with further references and practical tips.


The Feedback Speaks for Itself


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Engaging your stakeholders