Showing Your Stakeholders Some Love
Prioritizing your stakeholders
As a change manager, your primary goal is to serve your end-users and stakeholders. While you may have critical project tasks to track against deliverables in the business case, the real reason you are there is to be the voice of your stakeholders.
With Valentine’s Day here, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on how you can show your stakeholders some love. Here are a few ways to ensure they feel valued and appreciated.
Let them know they are your priority
Make it clear that their needs come first. Let them know you are there to work around them, not the other way around. Schedule meetings at their convenience whenever possible. While it may not always be feasible, they should feel heard, knowing that you are considering their requirements and designing a change journey that minimizes disruption. If something isn’t possible, have a clear and reasonable explanation.
Avoid disrupting their schedule
Ask about their regular update meetings and aim to join an existing huddle or town hall instead of adding extra meetings to their calendars. Ensure that any information you share is in a format they can easily consume. If they use PowerPoint, don’t send a Canva presentation—meet them where they are.
Be clear that you are open to feedback
Make it explicit that you genuinely want their input. Give them your personal phone number, and let them know it’s okay to call, write, or text. Assure them that you are happy to listen—and mean it.
Spotlight your stakeholders
If they contributed by piloting a new process or testing the first draft of a learning module, acknowledge their efforts publicly. Champion them within the organization. Even small gestures can make a big difference—on a past project, we gave $2.50 KitKats to participants who attended our training sessions, thanking them for their time and encouraging them to take a break. The simple act of sitting down with a coffee and a KitKat became viral across the organization.
No news isn’t good news
Check in with your stakeholders even when you have no updates. A short email letting them know you’re still waiting on a technical solution is far better than silence. Staying in touch, even when there’s nothing new to share, builds trust and keeps them engaged.
Loving your stakeholders is a mindset
Approach your change delivery as if your stakeholders are VIP customers. When they feel valued, they’ll support you—even when the change itself isn’t particularly welcome.
