When we’re trying to make a change, it’s not just ourselves we need to think about. We are all part of many systems. Other people have an interest in what we do and are affected by our decisions. Which means they’ll also expect to have a say or be told about what you’re planning. And they can help or hinder whatever change you’re trying to make.
In organisations we talk about having stakeholders – a stakeholder is any person or group that has a vested interest in what you do and who can affect or be affected by it.
A useful exercise is to list all your stakeholders and identify what they want or need from you or your organisation. You might be surprised how long this list gets. For organisations the stakeholders will be internal (employees, executives) and external (eg customers, investors, suppliers, the government, the community etc).
But you can do this as an individual, too. Imagine you want to make a change – let’s say, switch careers. List all the people who are affected by that decision or who have a vested interest in what you do. It could be your partner and immediate or extended family who are directly affected. There’s also your current organisation, your manager and your colleagues. Then your friends and wider network as they are used to your current work routine and identity. And potentially more! These people might be happy with your career switch, or they might not and try to persuade you down a different road.
So knowing who your stakeholders are and what they want/need from you is the first step so you can engage with them over the change. But some stakeholders may be more affected by the change than others, so you need to focus your efforts in getting them on board with your change. I’ll talk about how in the next post…