In the fast-paced world of healthcare, one factor can make or break the success of a project: stakeholder engagement.
Whether it's a digital transformation, a change management initiative, or a programme aimed at improving children’s mental health, finding common ground and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders is essential.
With insights from leading project change manager, Shaileen Shah, we’ll outline how stakeholder management can help drive digital projects and transform the NHS. Here’s why this is such a critical skill, and the strategies you can employ to ensure it is effective.
The Importance of Finding Common Ground
Finding common ground when working on projects is about more than just getting along—it’s about collaboration. Building strong relationships early on enhances teamwork, aligns goals, and improves communication. From our conversation, Shaileen mentioned how alignment not only helps to reduce conflict but also increases motivation across the board. He says this makes teams feel more committed to the project, productivity rises, and the overall atmosphere shifts towards cooperation rather than tension.
Large-scale change projects, engaging people from the outset and establishing trust can have a profound impact on both the success of the initiative and the well-being of the team. A motivated, engaged team is a productive one, and when mental health is prioritised, the results speak for themselves.
Shaileen says, “Mental health is really important, especially when you’re doing a big change project and engaging with people.”
Strategies for Effective Stakeholder Engagement
So, how do you build this common ground? A key approach is to actively listen to stakeholders and genuinely acknowledge their perspectives. Clear, straightforward communication is essential, particularly in complex projects. If people don’t understand what’s happening, resistance will grow.
Here’s some key strategies Shaileen recommends:
- Provide regular updates to stakeholders.
- Use simple, clear language in communication.
- Align project goals with stakeholder interests.
- Involve stakeholders in decision-making processes.
- Build trust by fostering stakeholder ownership.
- Encourage open discussions to address issues early.
- Use visual aids for clearer communication.
The Impact of Stakeholder Management on Digital Transformation
Effective stakeholder management doesn’t just improve relationships—it directly impacts project outcomes. When stakeholders are aligned with the project’s vision and goals, resistance is minimised, and there’s a clearer path to success. It also aids in risk management—by identifying potential risks early on, you can develop mitigation strategies before they affect the project.
Ensuring proper resource allocation is another benefit. When the right people are in the right roles, the chances of project success increase significantly. One of Shaileen’s key experiences within the NHS was bringing together various mental health charities to access data through a unified system. By understanding the specific needs of each organisation, he was able to deliver a solution that worked for everyone. This bespoke system didn’t just meet technical requirements—it was designed to fit seamlessly into the way each charity operated.
Why Relationships Matter in Large-Scale NHS Projects
Just like in recruitment, delivering projects in an environment as complex as the NHS requires strong relationships. Without them, even the best-intentioned projects can stumble. Whether it’s resistance to change or misunderstandings, poor stakeholder relationships can derail progress. This is particularly true for contractors, who often enter organisations as outsiders. Establishing trust from the outset is essential to getting everyone on board to have them ingratiated into your existing team.
Building Success Through Relationships
In the end, successful stakeholder engagement isn’t just about managing relationships—it’s about building them. When stakeholders feel valued, involved, and understood, they’re far more likely to support the project, paving the way for success.
In large-scale projects, especially those within healthcare and mental health, the power of connection cannot be underestimated. Whether you’re leading a £5,000,000 programme or a smaller change initiative, stakeholder engagement is the key to turning vision into reality.
Connecting Experts
From singular skillsets to full project teams, we deliver pre- to post-go-live project support helping embed the right system specialists into your digital transformation.
Our NHS CCS frameworks support direct contact with suppliers enabling us to provide agile recruitment, reduce time to hire, and provide audited compliance assurance.
Book in a chat with one our experts to find out how we can best support you and your Trust in your digital journey.
