Stakeholders are significant people during change initiatives – that’s why they’re called stakeholders I guess.

They may be customers affected by the change, they may be key influencers in the business, they could be leaders who are critical to success, or even external parties. Whoever they are, how do you make sure they really are on board with what you are proposing, not just making the right noises?

5 ways to work out if your stakeholders are on board

1. Listen carefully – what sort of language do they use? If you hear lots of “buts” and reasons why things will be difficult, that’s a good sign they haven’t completely bought in yet
2. Watch them carefully – their body langauge will convey more than their words. Enough said
3. Ask them to present the change and its benefits to another group with you – reluctance could be a signal
4. Ask them what they would do differently if they were you
5. Ask them how their teams feel about the change, and how you both can turn that around.