The Benefits Of Effective Stakeholder Engagement
Have you ever been involved in a project that seemed to fizzle out and go nowhere? Or hit brick wall after brick wall when trying to make changes within your company?
These are common issues that occur when stakeholder engagement fails – or is nonexistent.
Without the right people in the room during the planning stages, there is only so much progress that can be made. Whereas, if you have the right people engaged, decisions can be made swiftly.
But, quick decisions are not the only benefit. Engaging stakeholders has multiple benefits, such as:
● Building accountability amongst the right people
● Creates a culture of trust and respect by allowing the opinions of all stakeholders to be heard
● Guides the project in the right direction by gaining valuable insight from a range of groups
● Promotes transparency, which in turn builds a positive safety culture
● Gives stakeholders a sense of ownership, leading to increased commitment to changes
● Increases the sustainability of the project
● A broad range of perspectives and input create more robust policies and programs
● Early engagement can result in cost and time savings in the long term
How To Engage Stakeholders In Lone Worker Safety Decisions
Stakeholder engagement isn’t just about communication. The process must start before decisions are made, and there must be a genuine sense of sharing, listening, responding, and adapting to what each group has to offer.
When it comes to the health and safety of your lone workers, it’s vital to undertake comprehensive risk assessments and get a range of perspectives. This process ensures nothing is overlooked and helps build buy-in for your lone worker safety solutions.
The first step is to identify the key players (internal and external) that should be part of the process, such as:
● people responsible for making final decisions
● those who will implement the changes
● anyone with expertise or insight that can help the process
● those who are likely to be affected by the decisions
● people who need to be informed of the outcomes
Once you have identified who needs to be involved, consider the best way to communicate, and ensure you give yourself enough time to engage appropriately with everyone. Laying out an engagement strategy can help clarify how you will move forward with each stage of the project.
Remember, when you engage stakeholders in a project, it’s unlikely to be a one-off communication. Effective engagement requires ongoing communication to be successful. Ensure everyone is kept up to date throughout the process and the right people are included in relevant meetings and communications.
Making The Right Decisions
In order for your key stakeholders to make the right decisions about the safety of your lone workers, they need to be equipped with the right information. Sometimes, you may need to source that information from a relevant expert.
Here at Direct Safety, we successfully work with many organisations to create custom lone worker protection plans. Not only do they include advice on safety devices and how to implement them, but also practical ways that you can improve your overall health and safety.
We can help you engage stakeholders to produce the best results for your team. Contact us today to find out more if you need support to introduce lone worker safety policies and solutions.