Generating enthusiasm for the stakeholder's role

- [Narrator] Without stakeholders, there'd be no project. The impact engaged stakeholders have on a project can be staggering yet instead of making a staggering positive impact, people are often just stunned when asked to engage the stakeholders. Let's examine a few ways to generate enthusiasm for the stakeholder's role in a project. First, understand their workload. Don't start by asking them if they can help with the project that puts pressure on busy stakeholders. Determine the nature of their workload. Then work with them and their manager to determine what capacity can be made available for project work. This takes the stress and a bit of the staggering away so they can engage with your project without pressure. While many stakeholders happily work with their managers on prioritization, the project manager can demonstrate commitment by joining them in a discussion. Doing so also allows for more workload management possibilities to be considered. Second, provide thumbprint opportunities. Whenever possible, allow stakeholders to have a substantial role in the project. Show them how they can directly affect the approach and outcomes the project will produce. Designing new business processes, crafting a project's outcomes and being part of a test or acceptance team are some of the substantial ways a stakeholder can put their thumbprint on a project. And here's something to highlight. In many cases, that work makes them an expert on the new ways of working, which can elevate their esteem within the business. Third, give stakeholders credit and exposure. A good tool or capability made available to an organization through a project serves as a catalyst for business value. The heart of how business value is realized is how that tool or capability is utilized. That's where stakeholders can shine. Ensure the organization understands the work stakeholders have contributed to the project and support them in making presentations so their work is exposed to senior leadership. Note, this should be applied throughout the entire life lifecycle, just not at project completion. Highlight stakeholders contributions to milestones as they're achieved in the project schedule. Finally, share the next steps. Projects rarely standalone their elements of the organization's approach to increasing value, reducing overall costs, or expanding client services. Stakeholders who contribute to one project are positioned to influence future projects and play a key role in the business's strategic direction. Share information about future projects in the pipeline and get their ideas for delivering the most significant value to the company. Follow these four steps and you'll have an enthusiastic set of stakeholders, and the only staggering you'll have is to deal with the heights of your successes.