Key stakeholders and their needs and expectations
Schibi Ori 2013 agrees that stakeholders are people who are not with our business, but they do get affected in many ways by the deeds of our company (38). Since our business deals with the planned changes to the environment with the objective of making it much better to the people then we need to involve quite a large number of people. The persons who live and work in the neighborhood and the ones who come to visit would get affected. There are those who benefit from some of the products that are by the environment like firewood and feed for their animals. In addition, there are those who shield themselves under the trees from the scorching sun and others who use various sites to relax on the grass and those that appreciate the beauty provided by the environment. There are still among others who are conservationists, and they would not like any interference to the environment and would like any interference on nature.
It is that we have been having a cordial relationship with these stakeholders in relation to the environment. Boutilier , Robert ,2012 notes that there has not been any complaint from them in this regard but now that the organization is planning to interfere with it then they might get antagonized by this action (42). The review needs to be carried to establish whether they will be happy or annoyed by our mission, and they can be allowed to give their views. Since our activities might interfere with their livelihoods negatively then, it is important that they need to be.
How build effective engagement
Ways and modes of establishing effective communication between our team and the stakeholders need to be. It will further be important to establish the length to which they would need to be in order that they do not go overboard. There are a few who use the environment for their selfish needs which are detrimental to nature (White , Richard 1992). Among these are those who would like to cut down trees to use as building material, furniture or for firewood. It needs time for trees to grow, and if they are allowed to continue on with such practices then, there will be no vegetation cover in the near future (Fridell, Ron 2005). If such people are allowed to contribute to the implementation policy then, they would most likely support their selfish needs.
How then does the organization engage them? It is not possible to engage with everybody, but communication can be passed to them through local associations and then their views can be sort on the matter in question (Freeman, R.E 2010). Posters can be put up at strategic locations and announcements can be made via local media stations with a number or email address through which they can send their views. Thereafter the stakeholders can come up with a listing of representatives who can hold a meeting with the team after which they can be used to relay the feedback to the other stakeholders.
The organization would strive to communicate in a language that understood well by the locals. Before this, the organization would have undertaken a feasibility study on the practices and cultural values of the locals. Their education level would also be into account for effective communication.
How build and maintain relationships
The environment is not something that is there for a short duration of time like a political, musical or entertainment event. Nor is it a thing that can be changed temporarily like the painting of a house in which case the color can be if it turns out not to be pleasing. These changes are rather of a long-term nature and therefore it would be important for there to be a long-term relationship between the stakeholders and the team.
The organization will have an office line through which the stakeholders can communicate in seeking clarification to any matter that might not be clear. This will ensure that there is a long-lasting relationship between the two parties. In the absence of an explicit communication mode then the stakeholders will not have a way of airing their views or having answers to their questions. Durations will be set to review the progress of the organizations activities on the environment and in addition to seeing whether things are flowing as per the agreement settled upon between the organization and the stakeholders. Such meetings will be held on to allow everybody who is concerned to make a site physical assessment on any things that have not been done as per agreement. Any concerns would be aired and recorded with an objective of making follow-ups on them together with contact to the ones who had had raised such questions. The constant review meetings are necessary to make the stakeholders feel involved.
How engage the groups
Since the stakeholders cannot be by one small grouping of people by virtue of their large number, they would have to be divided further into smaller groups. According to Svendsen, Ann, 1997 these groups will have representatives who can then have some representation to a larger senior group (74). This will have set an efficient mode of communication from the people in the grassroots all the way to the organization. Any individual will still be free to communicate directly without passing through their representatives should one feel misrepresented or dissatisfied.
Works Cited
Boutilier, Robert. A Stakeholder Approach to Issues Management. New York, N.Y.] (222 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017: Business Expert Press, 2012. Internet resource.
Freeman, R E. Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print.
Fridell, Ron. Environmental Issues. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2005. Print.
Schibi, Ori. Managing Stakeholder Expectations for Project Success: A Knowledge Integration Framework and Value Focused Approach. , 2013. Print.
Svendsen, Ann. The Stakeholder Strategy: Profiting from Collaborative Business Relationships. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1998. Print.
White, Richard. Land Use, Environment, and Social Change: The Shaping of Island County, Washington. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1992. Print.
