Who to call your Stakeholders
Stakeholders are the people invested in your project, the people involved or affected by the course of action. Their inputs/activities have a direct-indirect impact on the project’s progress.
According to Oxford English Dictionary, the word ‘stakeholder’ first appeared in 1708, meaning the holder of a wager. Stake means risking against someone else’s on the basis of the outcome of an unpredictable event.
Importance of Identifying Stakeholders
Identifying stakeholders and making them vested in your project will help you gather buy-in. As Jim Hemerling, a Ted Talk speaker, says, leadership buy-in is critical. If leaders are energized by a project and believe that it connects with the company’s vision, they are more likely to provide support. Support can come from approving the project budget and inspiring the team by emphasizing how the new tools will help them achieve a mission greater than themselves.
So who are your stakeholders?
- Project Customers
These are the people who fund your project and come up with their problems for you to solve. They are the primary stakeholders of the project who inform what needs to be done and also approve the deliverables.
- Project Sponsor
