Writing Project Plans

🤔 Useful Questions For Stakeholder Interviews. With good questions to ask when interviewing stakeholders — to understand their needs, key goals, gather requirements and keep them on your side ↓ --- 🔶 1. Design For Listening, Not A Conversation One of the most impactful strategies that worked for me over the years is to design the entire conversation around listening to stakeholders, not speaking about them or even with them. And typically it all starts with only one single question: “Please guide me through the product and explain its key features.” There is no small talk, no introductory questions, no dancing around the topic, no deep-dive into my workflow. I merely explain that in the next 45 mins I'm trying to find severe problems that are worth solving, understand the context about these problems and project goals — and ask for a permission to record the screen for studying it later. This opens the conversation immediately — and then I pay attention to features highlighted, features skipped, and ask plenty of follow-up questions to understand the motivations and the goals that a stakeholder has. --- 🔹 2. My Stakeholder Interview Template Dear Ms. Krajewski, As a UX lead on the project, my team and I are currently in the process of discovery. As we start our work, we’d like to better understand your pain points, expectations and success criteria. 1. What’s the purpose of this project for you? [Interest, engagement] 2. Where does this project fit in your daily work? [Their perspective] 3. What’s the most important thing to get right? [Priorities] 4. How would you describe the target audience? [Their view] 5. If you could understand one thing about users, what would it be? 6. What important insights did you learn about users recently? 7. What does success look like for you and your team? [Metrics] 8. What challenges are top priorities for your team? [Pain points] 9. What’s the success criteria for the project? [Ideal outcome] 10. What constraints or frequent issues should we know about? [Risks] 11. What is your ideal level of engagement for the project? [Max] 12. Anything else you think nobody said to me yet? [Hidden troubles] 13. Is there anybody else who you think I should speak to? [Leads] --- ♦️ 3. The Real Insights Aren’t In These Answers I absolutely love Anton Sten's point that the real insights usually won’t live in answers to all these questions. They live in the follow-up questions and answers — and often in a way of how a stakeholder responds, what they leave out, and what they overstate or repeat a number of times. As designers, too often we see our clients and stakeholders as adversaries. Yet we rarely know how our stakeholders work, so we shouldn’t expect them to understand what we need either. The crucial part is to be genuinely curious, positive and engaged to elicit useful insights. “The other person will only stay engaged as long as you do, and they can sense when you check out.” Useful resources ↓

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐞 Enterprise Architecture abhors a vacuum—it thrives on stakeholder engagement. Often, architects jump into collaboration without first assessing one critical factor: • 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐄𝐀? Before strategy, frameworks, or roadmaps, 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 and 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. This will shape how you approach, gain buy-in, and drive outcomes. Here are 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 for aligning EA with stakeholders: 𝟏 | 𝐆𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐄𝐀 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 EA means different things to people, how can you align? Approach: * 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞. What do leaders think EA does? What experiences shape their view? * 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐀 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞. If a product saw EA as 'overhead,’ shift the conversation to ‘rapid decision-making.’ * 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. Finance, operations, and IT leaders have different concerns. Meet them on their terms. 👉 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: When you shape EA’s role based on their reality, it becomes relevant, not theoretical. 𝟐 | 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐄𝐀 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 EA isn’t all architecture, it’s solving business problems. Approach: * 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐊𝐏𝐈𝐬. Growth? Efficiency? Risk? Align EA contributions to what leadership interests. * 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭. Show architecture driving go-to-market, savings, or agility—over compliance. * 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞/𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬. If EA was a bottleneck, demonstrate accelerated decision-making instead. 👉 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: EA is a strategic enabler, not afterthought. 𝟑 | 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐄𝐀 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 EA works best in collaboration, not isolation. Approach: * 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. Decision-making improves when EA is a proactive presence. * 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 ‘𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐀’ 𝐭𝐨 ‘𝐜𝐨-𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.’ Stakeholders engage when architecture is a tool for their success. * 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞-𝐨𝐟𝐟. EA isn’t a pitch—it’s a dialog evolving with business. 👉 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞: EA shaping decisions early rather than reacting later. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. Before pushing frameworks or models, assess 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐀 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲—and how to reshape that narrative to unlock its full potential. How do align EA stakeholders? Let’s discuss.👇 --- ➕ 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 Kevin Donovan 🔔    👍 Like | ♻️ Repost | 💬 Comment    🚀 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬’ 𝐇𝐮𝐛 👉 https://lnkd.in/dgmQqfu2

You can’t call it partnership if stakeholders only hear from you once before launch. True engagement isn’t a courtesy email. It’s about making stakeholders 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 from day one to follow-through. 4 shifts that make the difference: 1. Map before you move Not all stakeholders need the same level of attention. Use mapping tools to identify who has influence, what they care about, and how they prefer to engage. 2. Align objectives early Don’t wait until the end to prove impact. Bring stakeholders into planning to set KPIs, success metrics, and business outcomes together. 3. Keep communication alive Use clear, jargon-free updates. Share progress, invite feedback, and celebrate wins. Trust grows when stakeholders feel part of the journey. 4. Champion transfer, not just learning Make managers and sponsors active player, e.g. mentors, accountability partners, and reinforcement leaders. Because learning in the classroom means nothing if it doesn’t show up on the job. When engagement is tailored this way, L&D stops being a service provider… and starts being a strategic driver of business results. A question for you: What’s worked best in your experience: mapping, alignment, communication, or transfer support? _____________ High functioning ≠ high capacity. I consult with L&D teams to turn busyness into business impact.

I’ve spent most of my professional life, including at Nestlé, engaging with stakeholders in boardrooms and in the field, from representatives of governments, international organization and NGOs to farmers, factory workers and members of local communities. I was reflecting on this experience while reading the latest version of the newly adopted Corporate Social Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), and in particular the provisions on “meaningful stakeholder engagement”. I’ve learned a lot from different voices. The inputs we collected from a wide range of stakeholders have shaped our approach to human rights at Nestlé and helped make our programs more effective and impactful. No doubt, meaningful stakeholder engagement is the way to go but what does that mean in practice? I don’t have any ready-made solution but can share a few thoughts based on some of the most recent work we've done on the ground with key partners: ➡️ Our income accelerator program, launched in 2022, is built on the inputs collected from cocoa-growing households who participated in the pilot program. We made significant adjustments based on their feedback. One change was to ensure a more even distribution of cash incentives throughout the year. Another was to split the cash incentives between male and female household owners, recognizing the contribution of women to cocoa production. Latest results from KIT Institute show that cocoa family income increased by 38% as a result of the program. Most importantly, the share of women having access to mobile money increased from 28% to 72%. ➡️ The Nescafé Plan pilot program in South Sumatra is based on our engagement with coffee farmers, addressing and adapting the program to their priorities and needs. The recent interviews conducted with farmers by our partner, Sustainable Food Lab, offered insights into the impact of the program on farmers’ yield, income and cash incentives. More than 80% of RegenTa farmers trained said that they gained knowledge in climate change risks and skills to mitigate them. 88 % who reinvested funds did so to rejuvenate their farms and drive future yields. ➡️ In Mexico, we’re testing a new approach, working with Proforest to identify and prioritize high-risk human rights issues. Meaningful stakeholder engagement is key for this model, ensuring stakeholders like local authorities, coffee farmers, and sugarcane workers are engaged so we can address the root causes of these issues together. While implementing these engagement processes at-scale isn’t always easy, they are key to the success of our programs. Stakeholders must be part of the design and implementation of any sustainability initiative. The fact that meaningful stakeholder engagement is now explicitly reflected in legislative acts like the CS3D means that we all need to be even more rigorous and systematic, even if it takes a bit more time to make sure we do it right. I'm eager to learn from your thoughts and experience in this area.

Your AI strategy will fail if clinicians are not involved from day one. There will be no use for AI if they are not involved. Most organizations tend to miss this key part,  involving key players early on, and it's hurting your adoption rates. From healthcare professionals to patients, administrative staff to tech providers, each stakeholder plays a crucial role in successful implementation. Here's how to engage them effectively: Healthcare Professionals (Doctors, Nurses, Specialists) 1. Engage early in the decision-making process 2. Gather input on practical requirements and potential challenges 3. Involve in pilot programs to assess usability and integration challenges 4. Provide comprehensive training on new technologies Patients 1. Educate about new technologies and their benefits 2. Screen for digital literacy to identify those who may need extra support 3. Choose user-friendly technologies that don't require logins or downloads 4. Explain how new tools will save time or improve health outcomes Administrative Staff 1. Include in needs assessment to identify inefficiencies in workflows 2. Provide training on new systems and processes 3. Gather feedback on technology effectiveness and areas for improvement Technology Providers 1. Involve in stakeholder discussions to understand healthcare-specific needs 2. Collaborate on pilot programs and validation of technologies 3. Ensure technology is effective for healthcare professionals and interoperable with existing healthcare infrastructure 4. Ensure intuitive navigation in healthcare technology systems to facilitate adoption Organizational Leadership 1. Conduct thorough needs assessments to align technology with organizational goals 2. Develop a strategic plan with SMART goals for digital transformation 3. Establish key success metrics to evaluate technology effectiveness 4. Create a common forum for stakeholder discussions Including the different stakeholders can lead to: 1) Shared vision 2) Trust building 3) Addressing (and avoiding) conflicting interest 4) Improved compatibility 5) Ethical considerations What learnings do you have from implementing new technical tools in your organization?

Stakeholder Engagement Wheel for Sustainability ⬇️ Many sustainability strategies struggle because they focus on reporting before they build meaningful stakeholder engagement. Understanding what matters to employees, customers, investors, suppliers, communities, regulators, and partners provides the context needed to make better business decisions. A structured engagement process helps organizations move from assumptions to evidence, identify emerging risks, uncover opportunities for innovation, and strengthen long-term resilience. A practical stakeholder engagement journey can include seven steps: • Identify and map stakeholders based on their influence and sustainability relevance. • Understand their expectations, concerns, and priorities through structured engagement. • Build a shared understanding of sustainability goals and business implications. • Prioritize the issues that matter most through materiality or double materiality assessments. • Collaborate on solutions, partnerships, and practical initiatives. • Integrate stakeholder insights into strategy, governance, operations, and investment decisions. • Measure progress, communicate transparently, and continuously refine the approach. The organizations that create the greatest value are rarely those that engage stakeholders the most frequently. They are the ones that transform stakeholder insights into better decisions, stronger strategies, and more resilient business models. How does your organization ensure stakeholder engagement influences strategic decision-making rather than becoming a compliance exercise?

Why 73% of Projects Fail and How I Stopped Losing Stakeholder Support Let me tell you a quick story. Years ago, I was leading an ops overhaul that was supposed to streamline internal reporting. Everything looked good on paper, timelines, budget, resource allocation. I checked every box… Except one: I didn’t fully engage the stakeholders who would actually use the system every day. 🚨Big mistake. Within 3 weeks of launch, adoption lagged, teams worked around it, and leadership questioned the ROI. That’s when it hit me—involvement doesn’t equal alignment. Just because stakeholders are informed doesn’t mean they’re invested. So I changed my approach. Here’s what I did: • Identified key influencers across departments, not just top execs, but daily users and frontline managers. • Used long-form discovery sessions to understand their actual pain points (not just the ones listed on a dashboard). • Built a feedback loop into every sprint cycle. Small changes. Real-time validation. • Created internal linkages between project goals and departmental KPIs (this one’s huge). The result? 🎯 41% faster implementation. ✅ 3X higher adoption in the first 30 days. 💬 Consistent stakeholder engagement from kickoff to post-launch. Why does this matter for you? If you’re a project manager, ops lead, or department head, especially in finance, tech, or healthcare, here’s your reality: 📌 You’re juggling timelines, compliance, and team bandwidth. 📌 You’re expected to “drive transformation” and still “not disrupt the day-to-day.” 📌 You’re measured by results but those results start with buy-in. So ask yourself: Are you just updating stakeholders or are you empowering them to shape outcomes? That’s the difference between a delivered project and a sustained solution. If you’re tired of rework, delays, or lukewarm adoption, start by rethinking how you engage your stakeholders. Involve early. Involve meaningfully. Involve often. ✅ Start with a 30-minute alignment session before you build your next project charter. ✅ Don’t just collect feedback—co-create the solution with the people who live it. You’ll thank yourself later. Let’s stop managing projects and start leading with people who matter. #ProjectManagement #StakeholderEngagement #LeadershipInAction

On a Saturday, we just placed a crucial Sr. Director role for a key client of Lazio Search Group – a game-changer for their team. But twice in the final stages, the placement nearly stalled. Unexpected feedback surfaced, a key decision-maker went quiet. It could have fallen apart. We knew this candidate was the one. What saved it? The 7+ stakeholders we'd engaged throughout the process. Key insight: Engaging multiple stakeholders isn't just good recruiting practice. It's placement insurance. Here’s the 9-step stakeholder engagement playbook we leverage at Lazio Search Group for critical hires: Early Leadership Alignment: Don’t wait for roadblocks. We facilitate brief, early check-ins between our leadership and client execs to ensure strategic alignment on the role's impact. This builds trust long before challenges arise. Identify the Real Hiring Team: Stakeholders often emerge mid-process. We proactively ask: "Who else will interview?", "Whose input is critical for buy-in?", "Who will this role impact most?" Uncovering these hidden influencers prevents late-stage surprises. Engage Individuals, Not Just the Group: Individual follow-ups are gold. Our team connects 1:1 with interviewers to understand nuanced feedback, address specific concerns, and tailor communication. Quality over quantity. Listen for Cues & Respond Proactively: When an interviewer mentions a specific need or concern (e.g., "Needs strong financial modeling skills"), we use that signal to proactively share relevant candidate insights or adjust screening criteria. Cultivate Multiple Client Advocates: Relying solely on the hiring manager is risky. We build rapport with HR, influential team members, and anyone invested in the hire's success. They become internal champions for the candidate and the process. Welcome New Participants: When a new person joins the interview loop late-stage? We see it as an opportunity, not a hurdle. We quickly bring them up to speed and integrate their perspective. Keep Leadership Informed (Above-the-Line): Ensure client leaders (VP, C-Suite) understand search progress, market dynamics, and candidate quality via concise updates. It builds credibility and maintains momentum. Value Every Interviewer's Input (Below-the-Line): Feedback from potential peers or junior team members can be incredibly insightful and influential in today's flatter organizations. We give genuine attention to all feedback. Strategic Leadership Intervention (When Needed): If a placement stalls due to internal indecision, a well-timed, strategic conversation between Lazio and the client can reinforce the value prop and regain commitment. Engaging multiple stakeholders isn't a tactic. It’s insurance for your critical hires. A placement defense system. Built relationship by relationship, conversation by conversation. So when hiring hurdles appear—and they will— There's a network within your organization ready to navigate them. That's the Lazio Search Group approach.

🧩 Who Actually Buys Pathology AI? 📌 Aligning with the Stakeholders Who Control Adoption 💡 Adoption isn’t just about model performance—it’s about stakeholder alignment. The buyer isn’t always the end user—and their priorities differ. 🚫 The person writing the check may never touch the tool. Pathologists may evaluate accuracy. Lab managers care about throughput. Hospital administrators scrutinize costs and liability. Pharmaceutical collaborators need trial-readiness, biomarker validation, and reproducibility. These priorities can sometimes pull in different directions—but when aligned, they create a powerful case for adoption. Understanding how these stakeholders influence each other—such as lab managers reporting to hospital leadership—helps you design for adoption, not just utility. Even technically strong tools stall when they only serve one group. Misalignment between stakeholders—like enthusiastic users and skeptical administrators—can break momentum. It’s easy to focus only on the end user—but real adoption depends on satisfying multiple decision-makers. Real adoption means aligning value across: 🩺 The End-User (Pathologist): trust, transparency, and improved workflow 🧪 The Operator (Lab Manager): efficiency, throughput, and integration 🏥 The Decision-Maker (Hospital Admin/Procurement): ROI, risk mitigation, and compliance 💊 The Strategic Partner (Pharma/Biotech): trial acceleration, patient stratification, and regulatory alignment Example: Imagine a tool designed for tumor quantification that delivers consistent results in testing—but struggles to gain traction because it doesn’t integrate with LIS (Laboratory Information System) platforms or support the throughput benchmarks lab managers require. With earlier engagement or user-centered design, this misalignment might have been prevented. By contrast, tools that engaged stakeholders early—like AI models for quality control—often gain traction by aligning value across clinical, operational, and financial axes. Misaligning your value proposition could stall even the most impressive tools. So what? Failing to align with stakeholders doesn’t just delay adoption—it risks wasted pilots, internal resistance, and budget rejection. AI adoption isn’t just a product problem—it’s a stakeholder alignment problem. Know who you’re building for and who you’re selling to. Map out each stakeholder’s goals early—then tailor your pitch, pilot, and metrics to speak to what matters most to them. 💬 Which stakeholder do you find hardest to align with—and why? #pathologyAI #AIadoption #digitalpathology #clinicalAI #healthtech #medtechsales #stakeholders #computationalpathology — Subscribe to 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 — weekly briefings on making vision AI work in the real world → Click "View my newsletter" under my name above