How can you engage stakeholders with conflicting values?

What if we focus on similarities as much as we focus on differences? What if, in fact, we tried our very best to out MORE effort into defining our common traits, rather than establishing how we disagree with each other? Even if we have different values, we might still enjoy gardening, Italian food or cats. We might be parents, dancers or students. If we focus on the things we share, we might be able to transcend the things that set us apart.

Since the underlying source of the conflicts is not always evident, examining relationships between issues and motivations of the stakeholders on aspects like resistance to change, pre-conceived notions etc. is important. Organizing a pre-meet with individual stakeholder can help in gauging their opinions, further enabling easy consensus building in the main meeting. Seeking feedback in advance through Google forms, fostering open communication, and emphasizing the ultimate common objective can promote understanding and cohesive conclusion.

Zunächst muss sich über den jeweiligen Einfluss der Stakeholder bewusst gemacht werden, da dieser oft unterschätzt wird. Insbesondere im Kontext von Nachhaltigkeit kommt den Stakeholdern und ihren Interessen ein hoher Stellenwert zu, da diese in entsprechender Form in bspw. die Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie einfließen sollten.

Stakeholders are not just important to get the program initiated but are also important to carry through the phase of execution. Beyond the standard models of categorisation and segmentation basis the departments, stakeholders must be understood at a personal level of preference and the medium of learning.

Different stakeholders care about different things from a climate and sustainability perspective. Stakeholders can range from being motivated and invested in sustainability to total resistance to any change. In the situations where you feel that stakeholders may have conflicting goals, make it about money. Find quantitative data that can show financial impact of implementing sustainable solutions. You don't even have to mention sustainability at all, just show the numbers.

Understanding stakeholders with conflicting sustainability viewpoints requires active listening. Conduct open dialogues to grasp their concerns and motivations. Identify common ground and shared values to build consensus. Utilize surveys or interviews to gather diverse perspectives. Tailor communication strategies to address specific concerns and emphasize shared benefits. Foster a collaborative environment that encourages respectful discussion. Stay adaptable, acknowledging differing opinions, and seek compromise when possible. Building relationships based on understanding facilitates constructive engagement and promotes sustainable practices.

There are some points that everyone can agree on, such as all people want to be well. Everyone can appreciate nature. Pollution is bad. These are basic points, but they're fantastic ways to spark deeper conversations. Use them as starting points. For example, many can agree that National Parks are precious. Engage there, and then dig deeper into that. Why? Is it because the rest of nature is being so devastated by development? How can this be resolved? These are ways to level with opponents and find common ground in an actually effective and meaningful way. Find those linking issues and begin there.

Not only understand your stakeholder, feel your stakeholders. Just like me they just want to be happy. Just like me they want to live in peace and with ease. Just like me ...

Vertrauen aufbauen und Vertrauen zu halten sind dabei zwei unterschiedliche Dinge - beide benötigen vollständiges Commitment auf beiden Seiten. Insbesondere das Halten der Vertrauensbeziehung erfordert regelmäßiges Kommunizieren sowie einen offenen Dialog, um die Interessen beidseitig bestmöglich abzustecken.

Seeking common ground rather than spotlighting differences or gaps is extremely important to avoid a us-vs-them divide. In business, we can usually find aligned values and goals if we make the effort to dig deeper into what drives the other party and redefining/ thinking outside of the box on what those areas of alignment could be. For example, sustainability strategies often are viewed as as costly because it involves investing in change but by evaluating it across a longer period of time, these can also involve reducing cost (e.g. improving efficiency in energy consumption).

Host meetings and discussions in neutral and inclusive settings to ensure that stakeholders feel comfortable expressing their views. Consider hiring neutral facilitators to guide discussions and ensure that all voices are heard.

Gemeinsamkeiten können den Dialog erleichtern und dabei helfen, die Kommunikation zu öffnen. Darüber hinaus kann der Diskurs auf Basis der Gemeinsamkeiten geführt und hierauf zurückgegriffen werden - bspw. in Konfliktsituationen und unterschiedlichen Meinungen im Nachhaltigkeitskontext.

Present what speaks to them. I was just talking with my staff today how when done right sustainability works on both sides of the isle. Take the time to lean into what they care about, don't ignore the others but tread their philosophies into what your audience is geared towards.

Meetings hosted in a deliberative governance setting, fuzzy cognitive mapping for value visualization, your classic post-it based facilitation techniques, everything goes when you get groups with conflicting views into the same room. What is important here is to set ground rules and create a space where stakeholders can come in with an open mind. Don't forget to account for power imbalances, so you can have a truly representative and holistic result.

Provide demonstrable opportunities for success - one key recurring theme in finance is intergenerational wealth transfer and allocating capital to esg over traditional high-return areas. Expertise in this space helps create the right narrative and supporting engagement to show the potential for alternate opportunities and help create a more sustainable world. The crux of the matter is that you can't please everyone, all of the time, however if you can create a compelling opportunity to challenge the status quo, then you provide your clients or stakeholders with more options, that ultimately help drive growth and peformance improvement.

Konflikte fördern das Wettbewerbsdenken und müssen in diesem Kontext positiv verstanden werden, insofern diese stets lösbar sind. Unterschiedliche Meinungen eröffnen den Diskurs und können dabei helfen, beidseitig zum Nachdenken anzuregen, um so die eigenen Perspektiven zu erweitern.

Managing conflicting stakeholders involves 2-way communication, active listening, responding and not reacting. Finding common ground is crucial and includes identifying concerns, prioritizing issues, and working towards solutions that address everyone's needs. Regular updates to stakeholders on progress (both wins and gaps) can build trust. If conflicts persist, involving a neutral third party to facilitate resolution can help.

Stakeholder engagement fosters collaboration, transparency, and shared responsibility in achieving sustainable goals. Engaging stakeholders also builds trust and legitimacy, as it demonstrates a commitment to transparency and inclusivity.

Im Kontext von Nachhaltigkeit sind die Stakeholder zwingend miteinzubeziehen, da Nachhaltigkeit ein möglichst geschlossenes und gesamthaftes Interessenbild voraussetzt.

Ensure diverse representation in decision-making processes to include a range of perspectives. This can contribute to more inclusive and balanced outcomes. Also, be mindful of cultural differences and sensitivities that may influence stakeholders' values. Respect and acknowledge diverse cultural backgrounds.

Have thick skin going into these sessions but more importantly have humility. If you go in with the right mindset/attitude you'll learn more than you can imagine and get key nuggets for future engagements.

Find the benefits and really use them. Values are great but when you have naysayers show how your program or idea will solve a problem for them. If not directly then indirectly. Get creative and make it all about them. You'll get them there, so be patient and enjoy the journey!!