Essential Stakeholder Scan & Dialogue Planner

This charter serves as the foundational entry point to the Logos Ethica framework. It is a document for our reflection and commitment as a senior leadership team. Its purpose is to ensure that we, as leaders, are fully aligned on the core principles and willing to undertake the profound work required before we begin the journey of strategic and cultural integration.

Proceeding with the Logos Ethica toolkits without our genuine alignment on these principles will lead to failure. A candid discussion and our shared commitment is the essential first step.

How to Use This Tool

This planner is best used in a workshop with your leadership team and heads of relevant departments (like Communications, HR, and Customer Service).

  1. Identify Stakeholders (20 mins): Use Part A to brainstorm all potential groups affected by or having an interest in your company.

  2. Map & Prioritize (40 mins): Use the Power/Interest Grid in Part B to map your stakeholders. As you place each one, add a "Relationship Health" color code. This will help you prioritize where to focus your engagement efforts.

  3. Deepen Understanding (40 mins): For your highest-priority stakeholders, use Part C to detail their expectations and analyze the risks and opportunities. Note: If your 'Confidence Level' for a key stakeholder's expectations is 'Low,' your primary 'Dialogue Objective' for them in Part D should be 'To validate and deepen our understanding of their expectations.'

  4. Plan Your Dialogue (40 mins): Use the action planner in Part D to create a concrete, prioritized plan for how you will engage with each key stakeholder group.

  5. Review Principles of Dialogue (5 mins): Before executing your plan, review the principles in Part E to ensure your engagement is effective and builds trust.

Part A: Identify Your Stakeholders

Brainstorm a comprehensive list of your internal and external stakeholders. Think broadly at first.

  • Internal: Employees (by level/department), Managers, Executives, Board of Directors...

  • Economic: Customers (by segment), Suppliers, Investors, Creditors, Distributors...

  • Societal: Regulators, Community Groups, Industry Associations, Media, NGOs...

Your Stakeholder List:

1.

-----

2.

-----

3.

-----

4. ...(continue list)

Part B: Map & Prioritize Your Stakeholders

Plot each stakeholder from your list onto the Power/Interest Grid below. As you place them, assign a color based on the current health of your relationship.

  • Power: How much influence does this stakeholder have over your organization's success?

  • Interest: How much interest does this stakeholder have in your organization's activities and decisions?

  • Relationship Health:

  • 🟢 Green: Positive & Collaborative

  • 🟡 Yellow: Neutral, Passive, or Unknown

  • 🔴 Red: Tense, Negative, or At-Risk

Your stakeholders in the "Manage Closely" quadrant, especially those marked with 🔴 Red or 🟡 Yellow, are your most urgent priorities.

Part C: Deepen Understanding of Key Stakeholders

For each of your "Manage Closely" stakeholders, detail their expectations and analyze the associated risks and opportunities.

Part D: Prioritized Dialogue Action Plan

Based on your analysis, create a specific, prioritized plan to engage with your key stakeholders.

Part E: Principles of Effective Dialogue

Before executing your plan, ensure anyone engaging with stakeholders understands these core principles for building trust.

  • Seek to Understand, Not to Persuade: Your primary goal is to listen and learn, not to defend your current position.

  • Ask Open-Ended Questions: Avoid 'yes/no' questions. Use questions that start with "What," "How," and "Why" to encourage detailed responses (e.g., "How would this policy impact your team's daily work?").

  • Acknowledge and Validate: Use phrases like, "What I'm hearing is..." or "That's a valid point, thank you for sharing." This shows you are listening, even if you don't immediately agree.

  • Separate Information Gathering from Problem Solving: Use the initial dialogue to purely gather insights. Assure them you will take the feedback away for review, and schedule a separate, later meeting to discuss potential solutions.

Next Steps

With this prioritized plan, you have a clear strategy for building stronger relationships.

  • Execute the Plan: Begin implementing the dialogue actions, starting with the "High" priority items.

  • Listen Actively & Integrate Formally: After each major dialogue activity (e.g., an advisory board meeting), schedule a 30-minute internal "Stakeholder Insight Review." The goal of this meeting is to document key learnings and assign specific action items for strategic or operational review. This formal step ensures valuable feedback doesn't get lost.

  • Empower Your Leaders: Use the Leadership Communication Pack to equip your managers to have these conversations effectively and consistently.