Why map your stakeholders? A Strategic Approach to Conflict Resolution and Relationship Management

At the start of a new financial year organisations generally look to their strategic plan to set their operational goals and budgets. For those of us in the business of managing relationships and resolving conflict, a key step in this process must include stakeholder mapping.

What Do We Mean by Stakeholders?

The term ‘stakeholder’ is often thrown about in project management or policy discussions by everyone from engineers to politicians. In essence, a stakeholder is any individual that has an interest in, or influence upon, the project delivery or outcome. When it comes to conflict management and resolution, particularly in public service agencies, we often see repeat parties in the disputes before us. In such a context, it is very useful to consider the stakeholders to your conflict resolution processes and ensure that you have carefully thought about the priority you would give each stakeholder.

Key Questions to Identify Your Stakeholders

So how do we identify who our key stakeholders are and ensure that we invest resources in the most important relationships?

Organisations can start by working together and asking their teams the following questions.

1) Who has an interest in the work that we are doing?

2) Who has influence or power over the work that we do?

Those stakeholders that have both a high influence and high interest in your work must be prioritised in any negotiation, dispute resolution or complaints handling process.

Prioritising Stakeholders in Conflict Resolution

If you identify that your priority stakeholders may throw up communication barriers, such as high conflict behaviour, then it is important for the organisation to invest time into ensuring that your staff are prepared to manage this.

By going through a stakeholder mapping activity, you may also find that too much time is spent engaging with stakeholders that have little influence in your work.

Avoiding the “Noisiest Stakeholder” Trap

The noisiest stakeholder is not always the most important one, and yet somehow, they attract a greater level of resources from your team. In a resource limited environment, this is the first group of stakeholders where you can consider cutting back your level of communication with.

Stakeholder Mapping as a Team Exercise

When done as a team, a stakeholder mapping session will assist you to connect with your colleagues as to which relationships you need to prioritise and what communication approaches might be most useful in building stronger relationships with those stakeholders. In some cases, there may be stakeholders that present opportunities for your team to improve its conflict resolution processes.

Tools and Support for Stakeholder Mapping

There are many online tools that assist organisations to facilitate their own stakeholder mapping sessions. Contact us if you would like assistance in creating one for your team.

👉 Contact Shiv Martin Consulting if you would like assistance in creating a customised stakeholder mapping session for your team: Book a FREE confidential consultation here

📧 Email: contact@shivmartin.com

📞 Phone: 0433 904 303 

FAQ's

1) Why is it important to map stakeholders in the workplace? Mapping stakeholders helps organisations identify key individuals who have an interest in or influence over a project or outcome. By prioritising these stakeholders, organisations can effectively manage relationships, resolve conflicts, and handle complaints efficiently.

2) How can organisations identify their key stakeholders? Organisations can identify key stakeholders by asking questions such as who has an interest in the work being done and who has influence or power over the work being done. By prioritising stakeholders with high influence and high interest, organisations can focus their resources on building strong relationships and resolving conflicts effectively.

3) What are the benefits of prioritising stakeholders in conflict resolution processes? By prioritising stakeholders in conflict resolution processes, organisations can ensure that they are investing resources in the most important relationships. This helps in managing communication barriers, addressing high conflict behaviour, and improving overall conflict resolution processes within the organisation.

4) How can organisations effectively communicate with stakeholders? Through stakeholder mapping sessions, organisations can identify communication approaches that are most useful in building stronger relationships with stakeholders. By connecting with colleagues and prioritising relationships, organisations can improve their conflict resolution processes and handle complaints more efficiently.

5) Are there tools available to assist organisations in facilitating stakeholder mapping sessions? Yes, there are many online tools available to assist organisations in facilitating their own stakeholder mapping sessions. Organisations can also seek assistance from professionals to create customised stakeholder mapping sessions for their teams. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shiv Martin is a nationally accredited mediator, practicing solicitor, conciliator, decision-maker, and certified vocational trainer. With extensive experience in complex dispute resolution, stakeholder engagement, and team building across business, community, and governmental sectors, Shiv brings over a decade of unique and diverse expertise in Law, Management, Vocational Education, and Mediation.

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