Moving Trains: A Lesson in Key Stakeholder Engagement
The Track to Failure
Want to avoid derailment in your leadership journey? I learned the hard way about a key factor in avoiding failure.
Once upon a time, I was a newbie leader, clueless about what "key stakeholders" were.
But hey, I was a leader! I jumped on the train and floored it! Full speed ahead, baby!
High-speed, go-getter attitude? Check.
Destination in sight? Check.
Passengers on board? Oops.
I forgot the rearview mirror. I zoomed ahead, only to glance behind and find...no one.
It was very lonely, being the only train on the tracks.
Leaders who move too fast without engaging stakeholders may find themselves without followers or support.
OPPOSITE STYLES
Leaders face challenges in engaging stakeholders because they span a continuum of how quickly they move.
THE BULLET TRAIN
Some leaders are like bullet trains, charging ahead without a care for the passengers left behind.
Perhaps you’ve seen the leader who stands on stage, confidently declaring, “We will definitively do this! I guarantee it!” while whispers of "Did you know this?" echo through the team listening to their leader.
It works until it doesn't. The bullet train eventually runs out of steam and has to go back to pick up the rest of the team.
THE FREIGHT TRAIN
Others are like slow freight cars, moving at a snail's pace. The saint-like leaders wait for every single train to catch up.
Unfortunately, some of the cars are heavily loaded freight cars with lots of baggage.
They are so slow to move that after a year, all the trains have moved ahead one foot. Only 5,279 more years to go before you hit a mile!
Neither of these extremes is optimal. So what do you do?
THE TRAIN DISPATCHER
Take a page from the train dispatcher.
Recently, I watched a friend who was a master at engaging stakeholders.
He acted as a train dispatcher, prioritizing who to loop in and when.
He mentally shuffled through all the trains and realized that #1 and #3 needed to be looped in on the plan first. They were closest to being impacted, so it was important that they be told first.
Once they were moving, he needed to engage and influence #2 and #5 so they could begin giving input. They were a little further out but still an important audience to speak into the process.
And then, once all of those were moving, it was time to move forward #4, who was even further from the decision being made.
Not only did he consider the order in talking to people, but he also considered the reach of their influence.
He knew that #1 and #3 could influence #2 and #4, so he thought talking to the former group first also was important because they could influence the latter group to move along too.
Points for Buy-In Success
Those who lead successful goal-setting or project delivery believe stakeholder engagement is essential to cultivate buy-in. Here are some points to remember to increase the likelihood of project success:
🔑 Stakeholder engagement is key. It can make or break your project.
🔎 Identify who's influential and can help steer the other trains.
🚉 Not everyone will be on board. Some trains may need to stay at the station.
🗺️ Develop an engagement plan. Picture it like a train schedule, telling you who to talk to and when.
📣 Define the communication strategy for each stage of the project.
👂 Inform your VIP stakeholders early on.
Engage your stakeholders effectively, and your project will be on the fast track to success!
WANT TO ensure youR LEADERSHIP is on track?
Book a free call to discuss:
Organizational leadership coaching
Strategic planning
Team alignment and execution of goals
Systems and process development
Leadership and staff development
… and other leadership challenges you may be facing!
