It doesn’t matter how great your team’s idea is; if there’s no buy-in from your C-suite and key players aren’t engaged, it will never happen.
Quality Improvement (QI) can benefit from conducting a stakeholder analysis to anticipate resistance to a proposed change well before the “go-live” day.
Who are stakeholders, and why should you analyze them?
Stakeholders are those who are invested in the outcome of a project – for better or worse. Stakeholders will either help or hinder the project, depending on their views.
The QI team carries out stakeholder analysis by understanding who has a vested interest in the project, what their views and expectations are, and how they might influence the project as a whole. Please note: a stakeholder analysis often contains sensitive information and therefore should only by shared among team members and the project sponsor.
Let’s face it. Projects involving change often stir emotions and encounter resistance. The higher the impact of the projected change, the more important this tool becomes. By taking time for a stakeholder analysis, a QI team can develop an appropriate communication plan to address stakeholders’ concerns before implementation, ensuring the project’s successful start.
Tips to Conduct Your Own Stakeholder Analysis
- List all stakeholder names. This is anyone who will be affected by the project:
- people in the process
- managers in the process
- people upstream to the process
- people downstream to the process
- customers
- suppliers, etc.
- On a scale of 1-5, rate each person’s CURRENT and DESIRED willingness to embrace the proposed change and to advocate for the change.
1 = Strong Willingness to Support and Embrace Change
2 = Willingness to Support
3 = Neutral
4 = Resistant
5 = Strongly Resistant to Support and Embrace Change
It may not be necessary for everyone to be at a 1 or 2, but since major changes require a team effort, it is important to have the major players neutral or better before starting or proceeding with implementation.
- Document the roles and the relationships stakeholders have that impact one another.
- Develop a communication action plan to get these individuals to a desired rating quickly. Keep them up to date on the progress of the project and let them know of any changes that might affect them. Turn their “no” to “yes”!
How are you helping your employees to work smarter by reducing the amount of time they spend on non-productive activities? If your business processes need a “check-up,” please email me at michael@leadingchangeforgood.com! I’d love to help you get back to a healthy, productive workplace!
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