Stakeholder buy-in is essential to spearheading and facilitating organizational initiatives and projects. Leaders within an organization have the task of informing stakeholders, socializing their project, and generating interest for continued support and resources. Without stakeholder engagement projects have a hard time securing resources and gaining viability. Leaders must gain stakeholder buy-in through presenting the idea early on, providing incentives to stakeholders, being upfront and honest about the details, and maintaining consistent communication on progress and setbacks. It is imperative for leaders to utilize tools to engage stakeholders and push projects to the forefront of the organization. Tools such as perception matching, the “What Matter to You?” Tool Kit, and questionnaires for qualitative data collection are great places to start.  

What engages stakeholder buy-in? According to Forbes Technology Council, here are four tips to generate buy-in:

• Present ideas and projects early on in their development
• Educate stakeholders about how new initiatives will benefit their day-to-day life
• Be honest and transparent about the benefits and setbacks of the project and update them on both the positives and negatives
• Maintain communication with key stakeholders listening to their feedback and corners to make them feel heard

A great way to gauge stakeholder engagement when starting a new project is through perceptual mapping. A perceptual map is a visualization strategy that allows project leaders to visualize potential stakeholders’ opinion of an initiative and allows them to cater to stakeholders needs. Perception maps are extremely powerful when paired with shadowing. The two tools clearly show pain points and misconceptions, making it easy for project managers to see the need and find a solution while allowing everyone's voice to be heard.

goShadow uses person-centered techniques to strengthen relationships with stakeholders and the team. GoShadow develops a system that equally prioritizes what matters to all stakeholders, including point-of-care teams, patients, and families, by utilizing the "What Matters To You? (WMTY)" tool. Change is much more likely to occur when leaders take the time to thoroughly understand what is important to all stakeholders before acting on that understanding.

For more information about goShadow and its suite of tools or to get support for your next patient or staff initiative, contact info@goshadow.org 

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