How can you align your team with stakeholder goals?

1 Identify your stakeholders

The first step is to identify who your stakeholders are and what they want from your team. Stakeholders are anyone who has an interest or influence in your team's work, such as sponsors, users, beneficiaries, regulators, or collaborators. You can use a stakeholder map or matrix to categorize them based on their power, interest, attitude, and needs. This will help you prioritize and communicate with them effectively.

3 Manage stakeholder expectations

The third step is to manage stakeholder expectations and avoid scope creep or conflict. Stakeholder expectations are the assumptions, beliefs, or desires that stakeholders have about your team's work, such as quality, cost, time, or scope. You should manage stakeholder expectations by setting and agreeing on clear and realistic expectations upfront, using a project charter, a scope statement, or a contract. You should also monitor and control the changes in expectations throughout the project, using a change management process, a risk register, or a feedback mechanism.

4 Involve stakeholders in decision making

The fourth step is to involve stakeholders in decision making and ensure their buy-in and support. Stakeholders are more likely to support your team's decisions if they are consulted and engaged in the process, rather than informed or ignored. You can involve stakeholders in decision making by using a stakeholder participation matrix or framework to identify the level and method of involvement for each stakeholder group. You can also use tools and techniques such as brainstorming, surveys, focus groups, or workshops to solicit stakeholder input and feedback.

5 Report and celebrate your team's progress

The fifth step is to report and celebrate your team's progress and achievements with your stakeholders. Reporting and celebrating your team's progress is a way of demonstrating your team's value and impact, as well as building trust and rapport with your stakeholders. You can report and celebrate your team's progress by using a progress report, a dashboard, a newsletter, or a presentation to showcase your team's milestones, deliverables, results, or learnings. You can also use recognition, rewards, or events to appreciate and motivate your team and your stakeholders.

6 Review and improve your team's performance

The sixth and final step is to review and improve your team's performance and stakeholder satisfaction. Reviewing and improving your team's performance is a way of learning from your team's successes and failures, as well as identifying and addressing stakeholder issues or concerns. You can review and improve your team's performance by using a performance review, a feedback survey, a lessons learned session, or a retrospective to evaluate your team's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or threats. You can also use action plans, improvement initiatives, or best practices to implement and monitor your team's improvements.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?