Stakeholder management for content designers: training for teams

• Is stakeholder management getting you down?

• Do you feel like you have to constantly prove your expertise?

• Do people think you're only there to polish the words that someone else has written?

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When it comes to stakeholders, content designers face a unique challenge. Unlike web developers, for example, who are recognised and respected as specialists, content designers are too often seen as project ‘add-ons’ or blockers, whose particular skills are no different to anyone else's.

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So stakeholder management for content designers isn’t just about getting project buy-in or access to particular expertise. More often than not, it is also about establishing their right to be involved in the work they’ve been hired to deliver and advocating for the discipline as a whole.

 

Working in such a contested space can be exhausting and demoralising. It is not uncommon to hear content designers say that they simply don’t want to engage with stakeholders, as they no longer have the energy to address the same old existential challenges.

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It doesn’t have to be this way

As someone who has led teams through digital transformation that relied on stakeholder buy-in and support, and as a union activist with more than 25 years' experience, I'm here to tell you that you can learn to manage stakeholders with confidence.

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And I want to help you.

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My vision for this course is simple. Instead of asking why stakeholders behave the way they do, I want to empower you to take on the challenge.

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Who is this for?

This training is for teams of content designers, who:

• Need a confidence boost

• Want to learn some ideas and techniques to pack into their Stakeholder Toolkit

• Are looking for ways to tackle specific stakeholder challenges in a supportive environment

• Want to think collectively about their shared stakeholders and how to manage them

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Structure​​

I always ask attendees to complete a survey and provide specific challenges the week before the training to enable me to tailor the training to their specific needs.

 

But the following structure gives you an idea of how it will work.

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Day 1​

• 5 reasons you should care about stakeholder management

• The stakeholder 'problem'

• Developing your stakeholder strategy

• 10 negotiating tips and techniques

• Managing yourself in the day to day​

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Day 2

• Stakeholder engagement techniques

• The role and types of evidence

• How to build trust

• Stakeholder challenge surgery

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Course details

This is an online training course, held over 2 consecutive days.

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• Format: Live online through Zoom

• Schedule: 10 am to 4 pm (UK time) both days

• Group size: Maximum of 8 participants 

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You'll need

• Reliable internet and webcam

• Access to Google Docs or Microsoft Office

• Paper and pen

• Access to Zoom

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Fees​

Fees vary depending on the number of attendees and the number of courses you want me to run. I'm happy to work with you to figure out what's best for you.

 

If you think this training would benefit your team(s), please get in touch with me so we can figure out how to work together.​​​

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