Agile Stakeholder game

Goal:
Identify, classify and effectively manage your stakeholders

Duration
45-90 minutes

Group size
Game could be played with individuals, pairs or groups and is easy to scale up. Ideal group size is up to 6 people. More Participants? Just make two groups and do the game in parallel

Preparation
Buy a brown paper or white board paper and markers. Bring lego figurines or play mobile, chess pieces with you. Draw a stakeholder map with two axes ‘interest’ and ‘influence’

Game description
Start the game with a short discussion about what customers and stakeholders are and discuss what the benefit of good customer and stakeholder management is. Explain the game and stakeholder map to the group so all the participants understand the goal and rules of the game. Subsequently ask the participants the following questions:<!— wp:paragraph –>

1. What is your general stakeholder message?
2. Who are your stakeholders?
3. How would you qualify the stakeholders in terms of influence and interest? Plot your stakeholders on the stakeholder map (as-is).
4. What is the desired state/qualification of your stakeholders? Draw a line on the map which displays the direction in which your customers and stakeholders should move (to-be).
5. How would you manage your customers and stakeholders? Determine a strategy for each stakeholder (group).

If there is more time you could ask how you would like to go about with your communication strategy towards your stakeholders.

Let participants share their insights and summarise the goal and outcomes of the game.
Enjoy and success with managing your stakeholders.