Maintaining positive relationships with stakeholders is how an organisation survives and thrives. But all too often, stakeholder communication and engagement becomes more about you and your promotional messaging, rather than what they want and need to hear. That is, what’s in it for the stakeholder?
Creating compelling pieces of communication with the right key messages that have connection and relationship building power – or saving relationships – requires a strategic and analytical process.
In our Stakeholder Communication Skills training workshop, we show you our acclaimed and proven strategic communication framework and models to develop powerful stakeholder communication and messaging. We show you how to analyse and address your stakeholder through profiling, drivers, influence matrices, perceptions and issues affecting your relationships.
We then show you how to develop clear messaging so your stakeholders hear what they need or want to hear from you in plain, direct, meaningful language that connects and engages. Your messages will have the right impact, influence, or call-to-action.
Mitchell, Agle and Wood’s (1997), Toward a Theory of Stakeholder Identification and Salience: Defining the Principle of Who and What Really Counts did some great work in identifying stakeholder attributes:
Power: In a position to carry out actions despite resistance.
Legitimacy: A perception that the actions are desirable, proper and appropriate.
Urgency: A call for immediate action, either due to time sensitivity or the critical nature of the issue.
These attributes can be used to prioritise stakeholder groups.
Stakeholders can be classed under three broad categories: latent, expectant, and definitive.
Latent stakeholders possess only one of the three key attributes and do not have strong influence on the organisation. Three stakeholder classes form the latent category:
Dormant stakeholders have the power to impose their views on the organisation but lack the legitimacy or urgency to do so, so their power remains unused.
Discretionary stakeholders possess legitimacy, but lack the power and urgent claim to influence the organisation.
Demanding stakeholders are those with urgent claims but lack the power and legitimacy to attract the attention of managers or decision-makers.
Expectant stakeholders possess two of the three key attributes and require increased responsiveness from the organisation toward their interests or views. It is possible for latent stakeholders to acquire one of the remaining attributes and become part of the expectant stakeholder category. Three classes of stakeholder make up this category:
Dominant stakeholders are both powerful and legitimate, and typically have views that matter to organisations.
Dangerous stakeholders have the power and urgency but lack legitimacy, and are in a position to have a negative impact on the organisation.
Dependent stakeholders have urgent claims and legitimate views but often rely on other stakeholders to carry out their will to compensate for a lack of power to influence the organisation.
Definitive stakeholders are a class and category unto themselves. They possess all three attributes and should be given the most attention. Organisations must engage this group and maintain strong relationships during the project or change event.
Definitive stakeholders should have the opportunity to provide input into major decisions and feedback on current progress. These stakeholders may differ depending on the nature of the change and can evolve between project phases.
Identify Stakeholders and Segment Them:
Begin by mapping out all relevant stakeholders and categorising them based on their roles, interests, and levels of influence. Tools like stakeholder matrices can help to prioritise your communication efforts.
Understand Their Perspectives:
Conduct surveys, interviews, or workshops to uncover the specific concerns, priorities, and expectations of your different stakeholder groups. Empathy is key to building a strong connection in stakeholder communication.
Customise Messaging:
Develop messaging that aligns with the needs of each stakeholder group. For example, use data-driven reports for investors, consumer-friendly language for customers, and compliance-focused updates for regulators.
Use Appropriate Channels:
Different stakeholders prefer different communication channels. While your employees may value face-to-face meetings or internal newsletters and videos, your customers might prefer email updates or social media posts.
Maintain Two-Way Communication:
Communication shouldn’t be a one-way street. Encourage feedback and input from your stakeholders, showing that their voices are heard and valued.
Regularly Reassess and Adapt:
Your stakeholders’ needs and expectations can change over time. Regularly review your stakeholder communication strategies to ensure they remain relevant and effective.
Not all stakeholders have the same priorities, concerns, or level of influence—so why should your messaging be one-size-fits-all? To truly engage and persuade, your key messages must be tailored, strategic, and impactful.
Here’s how to craft messages that resonate:
1. Know Your Stakeholders. Identify their pain points, interests, and motivations. What matters most to them?
2. Adapt Your Language. Senior executives may need data-driven insights, while frontline teams may connect better with clear, actionable steps.
3. Stay Clear and Concise. Complexity leads to confusion. Keep your key messages simple, direct, and memorable.
4. Align with Business Goals. Every message should reinforce the organisation’s objectives while addressing stakeholder concerns.
5. Be Consistent Across Channels. Whether in meetings, reports, or media interviews, your messaging should reinforce the same core themes.
The right message, delivered the right way, can build trust, drive action, and shape decisions.
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