Key Stakeholder Analysis Exercise
<Date>
1
Key Stakeholder
2
Someone who will affect, or be affected by, the work of the OpEx
function based on our vision and strategy.
The focus for this exercise is on key stakeholders outside of the
OpEx function, with a particular focus on various categories
leadership.
Groups from which to Identify Key Stakeholders
3
 Business leaders – who need to understand how OpEx will affect their
business
 Operations and functional (e.g., corporate functions, supply chain functions,
etc.) leaders (at all levels) – who will need to prioritize the implementation of
OpEx
 Union leadership (if applicable) – who must be willing to show support for
OpEx to the workforce
Limiting the Focus of This Analysis to Current Scope
<Insert description of current OpEx scope…where in the
organization OpEx being implemented and where it is not for
the time being>
4
Four Quadrants of Stakeholder Analysis
5
Potential Root Causes for Initial Skepticism/Lack of Buy-In
6
 OpEx as a distraction – the thought process here is that the work of the OpEx function is
somehow separate and distinct from the business strategy and will take time and attention away
important “core business” matters in order to undertake a bunch of work that has a questionable
ROI case
 OpEx as a “black box” – the nature of the work being done under the umbrella of “OpEx” and
the impact it’s having on the business is unclear or not well understood, which makes it hard to
fully support
 OpEx as a “Trojan horse” – often a concern for union leadership but can also appear at lower
levels within the operations or function leadership ranks, the perception is that the OpEx function
exists to drive out waste and inefficiency for the primary purpose of slashing budgets
 OpEx as the “flavor of the month” – often deriving from the organization’s previous change
history, the belief is that OpEx won’t last because of a lack of sustained organizational
commitment
Exercise: Brainstorm Stakeholders
List individual leaders within the organization who should be
incorporated into the stakeholder analysis
7
Exercise: Stakeholder Analysis
8
1. For each leader listed previously, project them into one
of the four key stakeholder quadrants
2. Starting with those in the “high affect-low support”
quadrant, conduct a mini-root cause analysis in an
effort to understand the likely source of their
skepticism. Extend that exercise to the “low affect-low
support” quadrant.
3. Develop an engagement plan with a special emphasis
on leaders in the “high affect-low support” quadrant.
4. Make sure that there is a basic
communication/messaging plan in place for all leaders
regardless of quadrant
Roger Price
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]
M: 202-413-8776 O: 301-770-3002
9