Facilitating Change Discussions: How a Dialogue Partner Can Help Multi-Channel Stakeholders Reach Consensus
How a dialogue partner can help multi-channel stakeholders reach consensus
We recently had a confidential conversation with a senior-level leader at a major global energy company that is facing a strategic redesign of the business unit’s go-to-market strategy. While we can’t disclose the name of the company, we can say that they are a large and established player in their industry, with revenue in the hundreds of billions. The various channel and business unit leaders are struggling to find a clear direction forward, despite weeks of meetings and discussions. With the potential for no outcomes, this lack of progress could have significant consequences for the company’s revenue. In this use case article, we will explore how a dialogue partner could help this company facilitate change discussions and achieve consensus.
In today’s fast-paced business environment, companies must be agile and able to adapt to change quickly to remain competitive. However, when multiple stakeholders are involved, it can be challenging to align their perspectives and interests, making it difficult to achieve a consensus and move forward with a clear direction and strategy. This is where a dialogue partner can help.
A dialogue partner is an expert facilitator who can help bring together multi-channel stakeholders to facilitate change discussions and consensus-building. By providing an unbiased perspective and expert facilitation, a dialogue partner can help keep discussions on track and identify opportunities or challenges that may not be apparent to the group.
Meetings, meetings, meetings
Our global company is a large and established player in their vertical, with revenue in the hundreds of millions. They are looking to change their go-to-market strategy and potentially the entire business model for the business unit. However, the various channel and business unit leaders are struggling to stay on topic during discussions and have yet to find any clear direction forward, with the potential of no outcomes after weeks of deliberations across all the stakeholders. This lack of direction and potential failure to adapt the GTM strategy can have a significant impact on revenue for the company.
The consequences of multiple meetings without a clear agenda, facilitated mapping, or outcomes can lead to burnout and ineffectiveness among the participating stakeholders. When meetings become repetitive and unproductive, it can be frustrating for stakeholders who may feel as though they are not making any progress toward a clear goal. This can result in a decline in the uptake to solutions.
What the common challenges can look like
- Lack of clear direction and focus, resulting in wasted time and resources
- Difficulty in aligning various stakeholders with different perspectives and interests
- Inability to effectively communicate changes, resulting in confusion and resistance
- Resistance to change due to fear of job loss or perceived threat to existing business models
- Inadequate planning and execution of change initiatives, leading to unexpected costs and delays
- Difficulty in identifying and assessing potential risks and opportunities associated with the change
- Lack of accountability and ownership among stakeholders, resulting in finger-pointing and blame-shifting
- Insufficient resources or expertise to manage the change effectively, resulting in a lack of progress or failed initiatives
How it could go vs. how it went
To overcome these challenges and move forward with a clear direction and strategy, the company can work with a dialogue partner. A dialogue partner can provide several key benefits to the company, including:
Facilitating Change Discussions: A dialogue partner can bring together multi-channel stakeholders to facilitate change discussions and build consensus. By providing an unbiased perspective and expert facilitation, a dialogue partner can help keep discussions on track and identify opportunities or challenges that may not be apparent to the group. This can help the company achieve consensus and move forward with a clear direction and strategy.
Mapping Ideas and Action Items: A dialogue partner can help map out the ideas and action items discussed during the change discussions. This can help ensure that all the ideas are captured and that action items are identified to move things forward with a clear direction and strategy.
Keeping Discussions on Track: A dialogue partner can help keep discussions on track during change discussions. This can be particularly useful when multiple stakeholders are involved, and discussions can become unproductive or stray from the core objectives. By keeping discussions on track, a dialogue partner can help ensure that all stakeholders remain engaged and focused on the core objectives.
Identifying the Unseen: A dialogue partner can identify the things unseen by the group and offer guidance. This can be particularly useful when stakeholders have different perspectives or may not have a complete understanding of the situation. By identifying the unseen, a dialogue partner can help ensure that all stakeholders have a comprehensive understanding of the situation and can make informed decisions.
Compiling Strategic Options: A dialogue partner can ensure that a solid set of strategic options is compiled by the end of the facilitation series for the business unit to vote on. This can help ensure that all stakeholders have a say in the decision-making process and can increase the viability of decision-making outcomes and the success of implementing a new strategy.
Data-Driven Outcomes: A dialogue partner can gather valuable data during facilitated sessions. By actively listening and documenting the perspectives of participating stakeholders, a dialogue partner can identify patterns and trends that may not be immediately apparent. This provides insights into the needs and concerns of stakeholders that can inform the development of a more effective go-to-market strategy. With a dialogue partner, companies can ensure their decision-making is informed by all stakeholders’ perspectives and needs.
Working with a dialogue partner can help companies overcome the challenges of aligning multiple stakeholders’ perspectives and interests and achieve consensus on change discussions. This can be particularly useful when companies are looking to change their go-to-market strategy or entire business model, as it can help ensure that all stakeholders remain engaged and focused on the core objectives. By providing expert facilitation and an unbiased perspective, a dialogue partner can help companies move forward with confidence, knowing that they have a clear direction and strategy in place for achieving their goals.