Episode 042 - 10 tips to strategically engage stakeholders

One of my favorite topics in project management is stakeholder engagement. I love working with different stakeholders and finding ways to work together. There are 10 steps to engaging stakeholders effectively and a few checklist items that will help you streamline your engagement strategies. A stakeholder in a wildlife conservation project can be practical or financial supporter. They can be advocates or researchers, a large nonprofit, farmers or a cooperative of farmers, hunting organizations, government agencies, sanctuary or wildlife refuges leadership teams, or general community members. These are the people you will work with to get buy-in for your project or the project you are managing. ​ Stakeholder engagement is important because the engaging part of the process helps translate stakeholder needs into conservation project goals. This process of translating needs to goals creates the foundation of effective strategy development. Taking the time to discover the point of consensus or shared motivation in the engagement process helps the group of stakeholders arrive at a decision and ensures that all are invested in a meaningful outcome.