Building and Managing Stakeholder Partnerships

Introduction:

This Building and Managing Stakeholder Partnerships course focuses on understanding stakeholders—both internal and external—and their significant impact on business operations. The course is tailored for professionals working with high-priority stakeholders, aiming to ensure their effective involvement, address their expectations, and develop strategies for managing their concerns.

Effective stakeholder management is a cornerstone of good governance, requiring both hard and soft skills. Participants will learn how to understand stakeholders' motivations, cultural norms, and communication styles while mastering persuasion and negotiation skills. The course combines theoretical knowledge with interactive exercises and role-plays to create a practical learning environment.

Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the role of strategic partnerships in achieving organizational goals.
• Identify key stakeholders and understand their interests and influences.
• Develop effective communication strategies for engaging stakeholders.
• Apply techniques to build trust and mutual respect in partnerships.
• Manage conflicts and resolve disputes within stakeholder relationships.
• Implement strategies for sustaining long-term partnerships.
• Measure and evaluate the success of stakeholder partnerships.
• Enhance negotiation skills to align stakeholder objectives with organizational goals.

Training Methodology:

• Group Discussions
• Role-Playing Exercises
• Simulation Scenarios
• Stakeholder Mapping Exercises
• Communication Strategy Development
• Trust-Building Activities
• Conflict Resolution Workshops
• Negotiation Skills Drills
• Feedback and Reflection Sessions

Course Outline:

Unit 1: Partnership Management Fundamentals

• Identifying and prioritizing stakeholders; understanding their expectations.
• Crafting communications to encourage stakeholder participation.
• Utilizing personality and behavior insights for stakeholder management.
• Navigating cultural expressions influencing stakeholder perspectives.
• Employing ethical negotiation tactics for successful agreements.

Unit 2: Stakeholder Audience Identification and Definition

• Overview of stakeholder management and key documents.
• Identifying stakeholders and creating stakeholder profiles.
• Assessing stakeholder interests and opinions.
• Selecting appropriate stakeholder management strategies.

Unit 3: Stakeholder Communication Strategy & Effectiveness Evaluation

• Preparing communications for stakeholder engagement.
• Designing and arranging successful meetings with stakeholders.
• Addressing stakeholder issues and escalating complaints as needed.

Unit 4: Communication Techniques for Stakeholder Management

• Using empathy in stakeholder relationship management.
• Building trust and understanding influence, persuasion, and manipulation.
• Relating personality traits to stakeholder management.
• Influencing without formal authority and applying emotional intelligence.

Unit 5: Successful Negotiations

• Understanding the bargaining environment and negotiable areas.
• Comparing negotiation strategies and ethical considerations.
• Utilizing techniques and instruments for effective negotiations.
• Managing and controlling negotiation processes.

Unit 6: Cultural Impact on Stakeholder Engagement

• Defining and understanding culture in stakeholder management.
• Communicating and negotiating with diverse cultural groups.