I open this series of articles with my support for those posts that remind us that ceremony alone is a moment’s activity and dies with the moment if not fortified by anything else.
Therefore, the freebies and other gestures that seek to foster relationships, if not given in the right context can all boil down to zero in terms of effect.
Through eyes in different capacities as a young corporate actor, manager, executive leader, board member and shareowner, I have experienced different organizational practices and cultures and their impact on the stakeholder management and satisfaction.
One of the most fundamental needs of any organization is welfare. No matter how often we stand on an ant hill and shout to the world how great we are, if we do not translate it into tangible well-being, it is a cry that that will swirl into the air to nowhere. You only live the moment of the cry, and you are back to the reality…zero.
From the experiences and learning that I continue to do, here are some of the points that I think should form the basis of any exercise towards real wellbeing in an organization and respective stakeholders.
1. Being genuine and sincere; do not use facades or lie through your teeth to give the impression that you are all for the good of stakeholders. Chances are they can see through it and you will be the last person to find out that no one had any respect for you from the get go!
2. Getting honest and loyal buy; avoid using terror or selfish enticement. In this regard, you get what you give. Garbage in garbage out vibes. If you desire loyalty, be honest, candid and realistic about your ask.
3. Avoiding the “smart person” syndrome; remember you are in pursuit of satisfaction on the part of your stakeholders. Understand their requirements and listen to their concerns and issues before you declare that you have the solution. The smart person syndrome has a tendency to ignore the basic fundamentals of service above self and a sure way to crash in this assignment.
4. Being open to feedback; critical to stakeholder management and satisfaction is the acknowledgement of their requirements. Do not judge feedback without active thought. Effective response to feedback would entail an open mind that is determined to see the flip side of things and with respect, take a stand.
5. Being impartial and selfless; service detests behaviour that suggests illogical and imbalanced thinking.
6.Avoiding triangulation and agitation; do not abuse people or things as a means to make it work for stakeholders. It has a way of coming full circle and at times, with ghastly consequences.
There are many more boxes to check, but I think this is a good start!
Let’s share!
