8 Ways to Dramatically Improve Stakeholder Consultations Using Solution Focus

CONVERTING YOUR NAYSAYERS INTO SOLUTION-BUILDERS

I’ve done many stakeholder consultation projects for a variety of clients. Consultations are an important and growing component of aligning organizations, both public and private with the community they represent or serve.

The simple, clearest reason for stakeholder consultations is to make strategic and tactical decisions more effective and efficient.

In the past, stakeholder consultations have been viewed by some as a necessary encumbrance and, as such, may not have been as effectively leveraged. Why? Often the buyer or sponsor of the consultations doesn’t think a lot about the quality of the questions being asked of stakeholders.

Naturally, when you ask people for their opinion in an open forum. they will tend to express their doubts and concerns. It’s quite natural to be interested in people’s complaints, but it’s not much use.

For some stakeholders, an open forum is a therapeutic opportunity to express their deep frustration. The voice of frustration tends to dominate and sometimes it surfaces high anxiety (think aspiring politicians who can only tell you what’s wrong, not what to do about it). This particular voice can sound like that of many. Often it’s not, but they get a lot of attention. I remind you of my favorite line about frustrated or angry voices; never try teach a pig to sing – it annoys the pig and you get frustrated. When we discuss problems at any length it keeps the person in a state of being stuck. Our interest in their problem means we are not being helpful to them

The bottom line? The old model – taking too many of the frustrated voices seriously – simply slows progress.

The good news is that progress is being made.

Remember, stakeholders always want to collaborate, just not each other’s way. So, our job is to magnify the collaborative thinking that is taking place.

Here’s where I have seen consultations turn into powerful exercises (using Solution Focus) to align communities and the organizations that have to make things happen.

• Be clear on higher outcomes. For example, I designed a recent consultation with two higher outcomes: to actively listen to a group of stakeholders largely at odds with each other, and to allow them listen to each other.

• Pre-planning should involve a core group of the stakeholders to find out what outcomes they’d like to get.

• Allow the group a short period in every session to express their concerns, but don’t let a few people dominate – we already know what upsets them and, other than ‘demands,’ they usually can’t express what they actually want. When we discuss problems at any length it keeps the person in a state of being stuck. Our interest in their problem means we are not being helpful to them.

• Better to ask the group what’s working at their level, how they are managing to cope despite the complexity (difficulties) and exceptions to the problem.

• If the complainers want to go back to the problem simply ask them what would be happening (for the community) if the problem went away. Don’t skip the question about what’s working – it’s the basis of helping complainers get unstuck.

• Turn to what needs to be different, or better in the future. Find out what the larger group has in common as they talk about what needs to improve. Start by asking, suppose more was working, what else would that be happening (for the community)?

• Get people thinking about actions. Ask what the larger group and some of the individual stakeholders might do to make progress right away.

• Read back to the audience a long list of the purposeful things they said. Let them see that you have been actively listening. Don’t promise lots of change, but instead offer progress – thanks to their input.

Help stakeholders make progress by noticing what everyone has in common surrounding the need. Help them see they can have a role in making it happen with the support of the organizing body.

Here’s an example of very varied stakeholders in action having a great conversation thanks to some good questions.

Video: The Hot Docs stakeholder consultation process at work

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