Three types of stakeholders for intranet & digital workplace projects
On July 31st in Chicago hear Nancy Goebel explain DWG’s new framework for engaging stakeholders of intranet and digital workplace projects.
*This conference is not a DWG member meeting; DWG is just a sponsor and media partner.
Stakeholder engagement a bigger challenge than technology
It’s becoming common knowledge that most intranet and digital workplace project failures aren’t because of the technology. Instead, issues around vision, goals, scope, planning and governance all rear their ugly heads.
All of these issues can be addressed through effective stakeholder engagement.
Do you still need to understand your technology extremely well? Yes, of course. Do you need good software development processes? Absolutely. Should you pick the technology tools that are the best fit? Please, please do… If you were to answer no to any of these questions regarding your technology or software development, you might want to look at a leading software testing company that can perform various tests on your software to ensure the key components work correctly and efficiently for both the back-end and front-end users, then you can start to tackle the visions and goals of your business.
But those technology-focused issues are just a few elements of what you need to do to succeed.
DWG developing a new framework
For more than a decade the Digital Workplace Group (formerly operating as the Intranet Benchmarking Forum) has helped large organizations measure and improve their intranets and broader digital workplaces.
Time and again we’ve seen the challenges and failures of digital workplace projects. Most of our team members have come from roles as experienced intranet managers.
Because good stakeholder engagement is so critical to success, we’re now developing a new framework for this.
With this new framework you can:
- Map out your stakeholder landscape.
- Identify the needs of different stakeholders.
- Understand how to engage stakeholders in setting goals and strategy.
- Plan targeted stakeholder communications strategies.
- Use data to engage stakeholders and make decisions.
Three core types of stakeholder
As the diagram at the top of this article indicates, there are three core types of stakeholder:
- Executives/leaders higher up the chain of command.
- Implementers.
- Users.
This diagram is not, on its own, our new stakeholder engagement framework. But it lays the foundation for mapping out and understanding the different needs of your stakeholders.
Each type of stakeholder has a very different role to play. In fact, there are many sub-types of stakeholder within each group.
But without engaging all three types properly, you’ll encounter friction, if not downright failure. In the coming months we’ll release the full stakeholder engagement framework here on the DWG website.
Hear from Nancy Goebel, a pioneer of intranet benchmarking
Nancy Goebel, Managing Director for Strategic Relationships at DWG, is an expert at engaging stakeholders. Over many years working at large financial institutions, such as JP Morgan Chase, she led complex technology projects successfully.
Before joining DWG, Nancy started one of the richest and most sophisticated intranet benchmarking groups in North America (one of the things that first caught our eye about her!).
If you already know her, then you’ll know about three of Nancy’s core strengths:
- Building relationships and being a “connector”.
- Communication.
- Strategic intranet and digital workplace thinking.
On July 31st, Nancy will unveil the beta version of DWG’s new stakeholder engagement framework at the Intranet and Digital Workplace Summit in Chicago.
Register for the conference and be one of the first people to see this new framework. While there you can also connect directly with Nancy, which most intranet and digital workplace managers who know her agree is a valuable treat.
ALI’s Intranet & Digital Workplace Summit in Chicago, July 29–31
The Advanced Learning Institute (ALI) is the driving force behind the 2014 Intranet & Digital Workplace Summit. ALI organizes related conferences around North America and will receive all the proceeds from the summit.
The conference, subtitled “How to improve internal communications and increase collaboration and employee engagement to drive business results” addresses today’s key intersecting trends faced by intranet and digital workplace teams. It has a broad, non-technical focus that spans multiple disciplines and traditional corporate divisions.
The conference will include presentations from many intranet and digital workplace practitioners at large organizations, including:
- Capital Power Corporation
- CARE USA
- Coca-Cola Enterprises
- ConAgra Foods
- Cricket Wireless
- General Mills
- IBM
- Kraft Foods, Inc.
- Pitney Bowes
- Wells Fargo
- Walgreens
DWG’s role as conference sponsor
DWG rarely sponsors external conferences, but found a perfect fit in this event.
The summit puts real intranet and digital workplace practitioners in the spotlight, as opposed to many conferences that act as platforms for software vendors and consultancies to promote their products and services.
ALI’s commitment to practitioners resonates strongly with DWG’s member-based benchmarking approach and vendor neutrality.
As a sponsor, DWG is neither receiving proceeds from the conference nor getting access to the attendee list. We get to speak and promote the event, and have raffled a free conference pass to one lucky DWG member.
To avoid any confusion, this conference is not a DWG member meeting and does not take the place of one of our eight annual member meetings.
Save on conference registration with a DWG discount code
The early bird registration date for the summit has come and gone. But you can use the DWG discount code to save $200 on the full cost of registration.
On the summit registration page enter this discount code: DWG.
Nancy hopes to see you there!
P.S. If you are attending the conference and would like to connect directly, please email Nancy. call her at +1 (866) 903 0232 or contact her via Twitter at @NancyatDWG.
Categorised in: Digital workplace, Internal communications, Strategy & governance
