Advanced Stakeholder Management

Course Introduction

This Oxford Management Centre Advanced Stakeholder Management online training course will sharpen your skills in confidently managing stakeholder relationships. The contemporary world of work revolves around stakeholders – suppliers, customers, employees, shareholders, financiers and many more; Project working typically increases the span and quantity of stakeholders, because of the indirect reporting lines, which often cross functional or even organizational boundaries. In the old days, management by command and control was effective and got things done, but these days, much more is required in terms of analyzing the relationships with the high priority stakeholders and managing them productively.

By attending this online training course, you will gain insights from short and specific theory blocks covering good practices, interactive exercises simulating stakeholder management situations, case study analysis, interpreting video materials and much more. You will also learn how to use Reflective Practice to analyze stakeholder encounters, following a helpful process that leads to the creation of powerful lessons that you can apply to your future work, to increase your effectiveness and increase your ability to impress people at all levels of an organization.

This Advanced Stakeholder Management online training course will highlight:

• Vital aspects of working with high priority stakeholders
• Leveraging a defined stakeholder management process, to ensure a sound approach
• Separating high priority stakeholders from others
• Developing the key relationships with the high priority stakeholders
• Dealing with high pressure situations and resolving disagreements productively

Objectives

At the end of this Advanced Stakeholder Management online training course, you will learn to:

• Develop an understanding of the stakeholder environment
• Craft strategies and plans that lead to successful outcomes
• Create impactful actions to manage stakeholder expectations
• Achieve beneficial outcomes from challenging situations
• Learn from experience and constantly improves your knowledge, skills, and practices

Training Methodology

This online training course will utilize a variety of proven online learning techniques to ensure maximum understanding, comprehension, retention of the information presented. The training course is conducted online via an Advanced Virtual Learning Platform in the comfort of any location of your choice

Organisational Impact

After their participants return from the Advanced Stakeholder Management online training course, benefits to the organization include.

• Better project outcomes, from clearer understanding of stakeholder requirements
• Reduced costs in projects, due to clearer expectations being established earlier
• Faster project benefit delivery, due to early agreements accelerating the schedule
• Increased productivity, through enhanced stakeholder relationships
• Improved morale, through reduced conflict levels
• More time available to spend on achieving successful outcomes

Personal Impact

After attending the Advanced Stakeholder Management online training course, delegates will be able to;

• Feel confident dealing with high priority stakeholders
• Assess the stakeholder environment in a structured manner
• Understand their stakeholders’ requirements and expectations
• Develop stakeholder management plans, based on appropriate strategies
• Manage the interpersonal relationships with priority stakeholders, at all levels
• Create continuous learning by reflective practice and improve their skills further

Who Should Attend?

This Advanced Stakeholder Management online training course will greatly benefit anyone who needs to interact with high priority stakeholders in their professional role – this course is aimed at people who already have some experience of managing stakeholders, including

• Executives and managers
• Junior managers and supervisors
• Professional managers and staff, including HR, Finance and other business partners
• Personnel involved in transformation initiatives
• Internal consultants
• Program, project and PMO personnel

Course Outline

DAY 1

First Principles of Managing Stakeholders

• Self-assessment of current skill levels and identification of areas for development
• The stakeholder engagement lifecycle, process, and key stages
• The potential outcomes from poorly conducted stakeholder engagement
• Negative factors in stakeholder engagements and how to avoid them
• Critical success factors in successful stakeholder engagements

DAY 2

Developing an Appropriate Personal Brand and Projecting a Strong Image

• What is a personal brand and what does appropriate mean?
• The elements of a successful personal brand – education, experience, personality, authenticity, values, performance, providing value, consistency
• Developing your value proposition and ‘elevator pitch’
• How to create presentations and reports that impress stakeholders
• Gaining access to senior stakeholders

DAY 3

Assessing the High Priority Stakeholders

• Circles of Influence, differing frameworks and their use
• A range of frameworks for assessing stakeholder priority and their pros and cons
• Stakeholders’ self-image, needs, concerns and behaviors
• Social style – quickly analyze stakeholder behavior and decide how to respond for a positive outcome – a deep dive into the technique
• Influencing without power, techniques, and tips for making a high impact

DAY 4

Engaging and Managing Your Stakeholders

• Developing a stakeholder communications strategy
• Identifying specific concerns and tailoring the messages accordingly
• Creating a tailored stakeholder communications and engagement plan
• Setting up and managing stakeholder meetings
• Managing disagreements and moving to a productive outcome

DAY 5

Negotiating Successful Outcomes

• The processes of negotiation
• Developing your negating position
• Negotiating using a principled approach
• Dealing with challenges
• Driving negotiations to mutually successful outcomes