Training Course: Workshop in The Art of Stakeholders Management Effectively

Introduction

Stakeholder management is a fundamental element in any project or change initiative. Stakeholders are individuals or groups who have an interest in what you provide or do, and it is essential to influence and build support from them to foster strong relationships. Without the backing of these individuals, achieving success becomes a daunting task. Research shows that project and program management specialists spend significantly more time dealing with people and their issues than average respondents.

This exciting and innovative stakeholder management training course focuses on both practical and theoretical aspects of influencing, negotiating, and communicating. You will learn how to build an ongoing relationship with stakeholders to ensure success in all your endeavors. The primary course objectives include:

Course Objectives

• Understand stakeholder interests.
• Recognize the difference between influence, persuasion, and negotiation.
• Develop a management plan for stakeholder participation.
• Evaluate participation using an evaluation matrix.
• Implement your plan within the project charter.
• Leverage the change control plan.
• Build trust with stakeholders.
• Manage conflicts using negotiation and persuasion.

Course Outlines

Day 1: Foundations of Stakeholder Management and Effective Communication

• Introduction to stakeholder management.
• Understanding the psychology of communication.
• The seven largest barriers to effective communication and how to remove them.
• Why listening is more important than talking.

Day 2: Advanced Stakeholder Communication and Management Strategies

• Develop a communication plan.
• Emotional intelligence (EI) skills needed for management.
• Adjusting your contact method using a five-spoke model.
• Understanding the psychology of communication with stakeholders and how to use influence effectively.

Day 3: Key Concepts in Stakeholder Management

• Key stakeholder management definitions.
• Identifying your stakeholders.
• Stakeholder analysis.
• The three-step approach to effective stakeholder management.
• Anticipating your stakeholders' likely needs.

Day 4: Building and Sustaining Stakeholder Relationships

• Developing ongoing business relationships.
• Identifying your stakeholders using powerful stakeholder analysis tools.
• Anticipating your stakeholders' needs, managing expectations, and developing ongoing business relationships.
• Influencing and persuasion skills – what they are and how to use them.

Day 5: Advanced Influencing Techniques and Communication Strategies

• The tools of influence.
• Neuroscientific communication.
• Reciprocity: give and take.

Day 6: The Psychology of Influence in Stakeholder Engagement

• The importance of commitment and consistency.
• How social proof influences behavior.
• Liking, authority, and scarcity.

Day 7: Negotiation Skills and Strategies

• Coleman Raider's “Bare-Bones” model.
• Negotiating styles assessment.
• Creating the ideal BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement).
• Introduction to reframing techniques.

Day 8: Advanced Negotiation Techniques and Strategies

• Negotiating styles, and tactics, and overcoming deadlock.
• Building on your strengths and improving your negotiation skill set.
• Using proven negotiation techniques, including the five modes, BATNA, and various planning and analysis tools.
• Planning, managing, and concluding a staged or long-term negotiation with multiple stakeholders.

Day 9: Principles and Practices of Effective Stakeholder Engagement

• Ten key principles of stakeholder engagement.
• Successfully managing stakeholders.
• The power of ‘Agile’.
• Practical people engagement strategies.

Day 10: Enhancing Stakeholder Engagement through Empathy and Effective Communication

• The power of empathy.
• Running effective stakeholder meetings and record-keeping.
• Conducting more effective virtual meetings.
• Building trust with stakeholders remotely.
• Applying lessons learned and obtaining feedback from stakeholders.

Conclusion

Stakeholder management is a critical skill in project management. This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively manage stakeholders, enhancing the likelihood of success for your projects. If you're looking to gain a deeper understanding of what stakeholder management is and how to improve it, this course is the ideal choice for you.

By learning effective communication strategies and negotiation techniques, you will be better equipped to deal with both internal and external stakeholders, contributing to positive outcomes in any project or initiative. Join us to develop your skills in stakeholder management and achieve impactful results in your work.