Influence is the key stakeholder engagement outcome, but it is sometimes hard to get a clear view of the enterprise and its relationships. Everyone has an opinion biased by their own perspectives. In more accountable times, well-designed stakeholder surveys can deliver independent feedback on an enterprise’s effectiveness, which can be very revealing, especially for large enterprises with many touchpoints.
Some of Inside Story clients have been work with us to develop an Influence Matrix that is complementary to the engagement levels identified in the AA 1000AccountAbility Stakeholder Engagement Standard (2015).
The aim would be to reflect external stakeholder perceptions that illustrate the type of influence an enterprise has with its external stakeholder/s usually on a segment by segment basis and to refine the type of relationship it desires to have. This can lead to some surprises that help to progress relationships and influence.