Stakeholder Management

Everything we do requires the cooperation or support of many stakeholders. This includes both government customers and often other contractors (i.e., in a prime/sub relationship).

• Productive push-back: We may find ourselves without authority in all aspects of how we work, such as some processes or product priorities. When we are pretty sure we have a better alternative, artful pushback is an invaluable communication skill. Principles of nonviolent communication are a tool in doing so. If we can frame a conversation in terms of empathy with the goals of another, we have a better chance to convince them.
• Bureaucracy Navigation: We often are presented with cumbersome mandated processes. We work to streamline those processes, but also to navigate them. The processes are made of people who we can reach out to and reason with to get stuff done.
• Hurdle Clearing: Government technology has numerous policy and compliance constraints. Good consultants, particularly program managers, product managers, or product managers, will spend a good amount of time managing and clearing hurdles to help the team keep moving at full speed.
• Real Org Chart: To help with the above, we can create a “real org chart.” This kind of stakeholder map can be like a normal visual org chart. However, instead of going by official reporting lines, we go by lines of influence. For example, a security compliance stakeholder may be heavily influenced by the assessment of an infrastructure engineer on a different team. If we can convince that engineer of our case, we may sway the stakeholder, but wouldn’t be escalating to their official boss.