Proactive Stakeholder Engagement

Why 73% of Projects Fail and How I Stopped Losing Stakeholder Support Let me tell you a quick story. Years ago, I was leading an ops overhaul that was supposed to streamline internal reporting. Everything looked good on paper, timelines, budget, resource allocation. I checked every box… Except one: I didn’t fully engage the stakeholders who would actually use the system every day. 🚨Big mistake. Within 3 weeks of launch, adoption lagged, teams worked around it, and leadership questioned the ROI. That’s when it hit me—involvement doesn’t equal alignment. Just because stakeholders are informed doesn’t mean they’re invested. So I changed my approach. Here’s what I did: • Identified key influencers across departments, not just top execs, but daily users and frontline managers. • Used long-form discovery sessions to understand their actual pain points (not just the ones listed on a dashboard). • Built a feedback loop into every sprint cycle. Small changes. Real-time validation. • Created internal linkages between project goals and departmental KPIs (this one’s huge). The result? 🎯 41% faster implementation. ✅ 3X higher adoption in the first 30 days. 💬 Consistent stakeholder engagement from kickoff to post-launch. Why does this matter for you? If you’re a project manager, ops lead, or department head, especially in finance, tech, or healthcare, here’s your reality: 📌 You’re juggling timelines, compliance, and team bandwidth. 📌 You’re expected to “drive transformation” and still “not disrupt the day-to-day.” 📌 You’re measured by results but those results start with buy-in. So ask yourself: Are you just updating stakeholders or are you empowering them to shape outcomes? That’s the difference between a delivered project and a sustained solution. If you’re tired of rework, delays, or lukewarm adoption, start by rethinking how you engage your stakeholders. Involve early. Involve meaningfully. Involve often. ✅ Start with a 30-minute alignment session before you build your next project charter. ✅ Don’t just collect feedback—co-create the solution with the people who live it. You’ll thank yourself later. Let’s stop managing projects and start leading with people who matter. #ProjectManagement #StakeholderEngagement #LeadershipInAction

A procurement leader just told me he’s hiring. For 14 months, he’s been a team of one and now he’s hiring his second. He asked me, “if you were in my shoes, what type of person would you look for?” (Spoiler, it wouldn’t just be a massive savings number on a resume). I’d look for someone who proved they could build strong relationships with stakeholders. And for an interview, the proof would be: 
A Stakeholder Enablement Plan. 1. They build toolkits, not policies.
Some procurement teams throw a 40-page PDF at stakeholders and call it enablement.
Nobody reads it.
This person would build a one-page “front door” that linked to everything: sourcing events, MNDAs, templates, policies.
Fewer stakeholders would need to ask “Where do I start?” (Although let’s be honest, that will likely never go away completely). 2. They would do proactive outreach, not just reactive policing.
Instead of waiting for fire drills, they schedule recurring, value-added meetings.
They come with deliverables: spend reviews, competitor insights, contract milestones.
Stakeholders walk away thinking, “wow…procurement is helping me hit my goals.” 3. They would build champions.
When stakeholders feel procurement is for them, then adoption isn’t forced.
in fact, it’s voluntary….dare I say embraced? 
They become advocates for procurement because it makes their jobs easier. 4. They would market procurement internally.
Quarterly reports. Success stories. Clear communications.
They treat procurement like a product. And then stakeholders became repeat customers. Sound too good to be true? I’ve seen it done. And as I talk to more procurement leaders, I continue to see it done. We just need more of it. This mindset is exactly why I joined Tropic I want to escape our reputation of red-tape. 
At its core, procurement should be about enablement. Specifically giving business leaders the clarity and confidence to make better and faster decisions. At Tropic, we’ve built that philosophy into the product itself.
One front door.
Proactive insights.
Stakeholder champions.
A procurement function that feels less like a bottleneck and more like a growth driver.

How I turned chaos into collaboration. All by asking the right questions. Stakeholder engagement isn’t easy. I once worked with a stakeholder who didn’t trust her team. She believed control was the only way to get results. Her working style caused chaos: → She would agree one day. → And, change her mind the next. The team was frustrated. → Deadlines were slipping. → Team morale was dropping. And I needed to fix this issue. Here’s how I shifted her mindset and got her to trust the process: 1. I asked, “What’s your biggest worry?” → I genuinely listened to her concerns. → I realized her constant changes came from fear of failure. 2. I asked, "How can we stick to a plan?" → I shared a roadmap with defined milestones and explained the impact of last-minute changes. → She agreed to revisit decisions only during weekly reviews. 3. I asked, " Can you take ownership here?". → I assigned her specific deliverables to oversee. → Sharing regular updates reduced her doubts. 4. I asked, "What type of data will build your trust?" → Every week, I showed progress with data. → She saw the team could deliver. The result? → No more frantic emails. → No last-minute changes. → She trusted the team and the plan. Takeaways: 1. Listen to your stakeholders’ concerns. 2. Set clear boundaries. 3. Give ownership so they can drive without control. 4. Build you trust by consistently supporting them. In just three weeks, I turned chaos into collaboration. This wasn’t just a win for the project it transformed how we worked together.   So, I always say, you don’t manage stakeholders; you engage them. Ask questions → Set boundaries → Build trust. PS: What’s your story of turning a difficult stakeholders around?

Why do most multi-stakeholder B2B deals fail? They skip one critical step: multithreading. Here’s how we mastered and improved deals faster. Picture this: An enterprise deal worth $220,000. 7 departments involved. 9 months from start...to close. Sounds familiar? Complex, multi-stakeholder deals can feel like juggling flaming swords. One wrong move, and everything falls apart. But here’s what I’ve learned: Multithreading is not optional—it's ESSENTIAL. Why? - Deals aren’t linear anymore. One champion isn’t enough. - Stakeholders have their own priorities, timelines, and pain points. - Misalignment = delays, ghosted emails, or worse—lost deals. Here’s how we untangled this: 1/ Map Your Stakeholders → Identify EVERYONE involved. → Understand their roles, goals, and concerns. → Build connections across departments early. 2/ Create Shared Context → Use tools like Along (shameless plug 😉) for centralized collaboration. → Share value-driven content that speaks directly *to them*. → No more endless email chains—keep everyone aligned. 3/ Leverage Insights → Track engagement signals (who’s reading, clicking, sharing). → Spot blockers before they become roadblocks. → Personalization isn’t just nice—it’s how you win trust. 4/ Stay Proactive → Don’t wait for updates; anticipate them. → Tailor follow-ups based on behavior (not assumptions). → Keep momentum alive across ALL threads. We’ve seen this approach cut sales cycles by weeks and boost win rates by double digits. One client, OMR Reviews, saw their win rate jump by 24% after implementing multithreading with Along. They didn’t just close deals—they built relationships that last. Multithreading isn’t magic. It’s structure. It’s strategy. It’s what separates deals that crawl from deals that close. How are you tackling multi-stakeholder deals today? Would love your thoughts!

It’s hard work convincing a stakeholder who doesn’t want good Procurement. I use my T.E.A.C.H. framework: 1. TALK to the person and not about the Policy. Find out about their role, their pain points and the service they need. 2. EVALUATE options to add value This is the route in. Show them the ways Procurement can help, even if it’s not via a typical full RFP. 3. ADAPT your style Not your principles. If fundamentals, e.g. benchmarking or a contract are missing, explain the risks clearly, Not just to the business but for them as an individual. 4. CREATE long-term objectives. A vision for the future. This is where common ground is more likely and how you can align on future ways of working. 5. HELP them understand the opportunity By leaving a positive impression. Ask them to imagine the value Procurement can add not just to this specific engagement but in future If you’d been engaged earlier. ________ Thoughts? LMK in comments Found this helpful? Please repost ♻️ to help others in your network. Want more actionable tips like this? Join 12,500+ Procurement Pros who get my insights direct to their inbox weekly (free) 👇 https://procurebites.com/

How do you connect with your stakeholders when it comes to sustainability? Engaging effectively with key stakeholders can feel like a balancing act, but it’s essential if your business wants to drive meaningful sustainability outcomes. The secret? Speak their language and align with their priorities. Let me tell you a story. At Microsoft, before any meeting about sustainability, the team takes a step back and asks: What are the organizational priorities of the person or group we’re meeting with?  How can we align our sustainability goals with what they’re already working on? It’s a simple but powerful approach that ensures the conversation flows smoothly, and both sides walk away with a clear sense of how sustainability can fit into existing business goals. This approach is grounded in understanding what motivates each stakeholder. Whether they’re in finance, marketing, or operations, knowing their priorities helps you frame sustainability in a way that resonates with them. For instance, finance teams are often driven by numbers—so when you talk about sustainability, you could focus on how reducing carbon emissions can lead to cost savings or mitigate long-term financial risks. According to CDP, companies that address climate change could unlock $2.1 trillion in business opportunities over the next decade. But it’s not just about talking numbers. Engaging with stakeholders also means understanding the unique skills they bring to the table and how they’re incentivized. At Unilever, they’ve taken this to heart by integrating sustainability into the key performance indicators of every department, from supply chain to marketing. This way, sustainability becomes part of their everyday work, not just an add-on. Effective stakeholder engagement is about creating a win-win scenario. When you take the time to understand what your stakeholders care about and align your sustainability goals with their objectives, it’s much easier to find common ground and drive real progress. So, how are you planning to engage your stakeholders in your sustainability journey?

Sustainability strategies don’t succeed behind closed doors. One of the biggest challenges I see in Sustainability and ESG implementation? Treating it like an internal checklist. But in reality, Sustainability and ESG only works when it's built with stakeholders, and not just for them or because of them. ✅ Investors want clarity. ✅ Employees want authenticity. ✅ Regulators want transparency. ✅ Customers want values that match their own. The most effective Sustainability and ESG strategies are co-created through meaningful, two-way engagement, long before a report is published. Here’s what I’ve seen work: 👥 Engage stakeholders early – Don’t wait for feedback. Bring people into the process from the start. 🚶🏻♀️ Walk the talk – Sustainability can’t live on paper. When teams see values in action, engagement deepens. 📊 Report what truly matters – Relevance builds trust. Focus your disclosures where it counts. Stakeholder engagement is more than just a checkbox, it’s a relationship. And in times of uncertainty, those relationships are what carry your strategy forward. Ready to make your Sustainability and ESG strategy more collaborative, credible, and effective? 🔗 Learn how my advisory services can support your stakeholder-driven ESG goals: https://lnkd.in/e9CWD9Vd 🔗 Stay in the loop with Sustainability best practices-subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.fulyakocak.com Real impact starts when people feel part of the process. #StakeholderEngagement  #ESGLeadership  #SustainabilityStrategy