Are people just born with good stakeholder management skills?
No. Stakeholder awareness increases as people gain greater experience, indicating that it is also about exposure to organisational life. ‘win-win’ agreement So stakeholder management is not something that you have or don’t have, it can develop over time. The challenge for organisations is how to accelerate development and provide people with the practical skills required to effectively manage stakeholders in an ethical manner. People who are good at managing stakeholders are good at deploying the following psychological skills: Demonstrating empathy – actively listening to what people say, how they say it and acknowledging their concerns in a way that demonstrates understanding. Involving – they think of ways to get stakeholders to contribute through such techniques as consultation and governance. Messaging – understanding what’s in it for the stakeholder and how best to deliver the message. Managing the psychological contract – acknowledging that the stakeholder has power and understa
