You can have the best strategy, the best product, and the slickest branding in the world, but if people don’t trust you, you’re building on sand, because in today’s world, trust isn’t a ‘nice to have’, it’s the whole game.
Here’s the shift that changes everything:
- Stop asking “What do we need to do?”
- Start asking “Why should anyone care?”
That’s where real stakeholder engagement begins. Not with activity, not with process but with purpose. Because the organisations we admire, the ones that last, don’t just deliver results, they stand for something and they bring people with them.
Step 1: know who you are (before asking anyone else to care)
Let’s be honest, if you can’t clearly say what you stand for, why should anyone else believe in you? Your foundation is: your mission, values and your non-negotiables. This is your identity.
Take Patagonia. They don’t just sell jackets, they stand for environmental responsibility, and they prove it in how they act, not just what they say.
Tip: If your values don’t show up in decisions, they’re just decoration.
Ask yourself: What do we stand for? Who do we serve? What change are we trying to create? Get that right, and everything else becomes easier.
Step 2: get leadership fully on board (not just nodding along)
Here’s a hard truth, if leadership isn’t genuinely bought in, your strategy won’t go anywhere. You need belief, not just approval.
Look at Microsoft under Satya Nadella. He didn’t just tweak the mission, he reshaped it around empowerment and crucially, he brought people with him.
Tip: Speak two languages: Purpose (why it matters) and Outcomes (what it delivers) because when leaders see that engagement reduces risk, drives growth, and builds trust, that’s when it sticks.
Step 3: launch with clarity (and invite people in)
A launch isn’t just an announcement; it’s a moment of truth. This is where people decide: Do I understand this? Do I believe it? Do I want to be part of it?
Take Starbucks. When they launch major social initiatives, they dont just broadcast, they invite participation from employees, customers and communities.
Tip: At launch, be crystal clear: What are we doing? Why does it matter? How can people get involved? Because engagement starts with inclusion.
Step 4: make it real (this is where credibility lives)
Here’s where many strategies quietly fall apart: implementation. This is where your why meets reality. Take Coca-Cola and their 5by20 initiative. They didn’t just set a goal, they mobilised teams, built partnerships, and kept learning as they went.
Tip: Make engagement everyone’s job: involve multiple teams, build feedback loops and act on what you hear. Because if engagement sits in one department, it never becomes culture.
Tip 5: build feedback into everything (not as an afterthought)
Here’s a simple but powerful shift: don’t just collect feedback. Use it and then, tell people you used it. That’s how trust grows. Try this:
- “Here’s what we heard”
- “Here’s what we changed”
- “Here’s what happens next”
It’s not complicated but it’s incredibly effective.
Step 6: stay consistent (trust is built daily)
Trust isn’t built in big moments, it’s built in small, consistent ones. Look at Johnson & Johnson. Their long-term engagement approach is about regular updates, transparency, and continuous listening.
Tip: Create rhythms:
- Regular updates
- Ongoing conversations
- Clear reporting
Because consistency creates credibility.
Step 7: measure what matters (not just what’s easy)
It’s easy to measure activity: number of meetings, emails or social media posts, but what about the actual impact? Ask better questions:
- Are stakeholders more engaged?
- Has trust improved?
- Are we making better decisions?
Tip: Look for signs of momentum:
- People contributing ideas
- Stakeholders advocating for you
- Fewer surprises and conflicts
That’s when you know it’s working.
Step 8: think long-term (this is bigger than one project)
The best organisations don’t treat engagement as a one-off, they treat it as a relationship. Think of brands like Unilever or Tesla. They’ve built communities, not just customer bases.
Tip: After a project ends, say thank you, share results and keep the conversation going because the next time you engage, you won’t be starting from scratch.
A quick reflection
Ask yourself:
- Which organisations do I admire and why?
- Do they just perform well or do they stand for something?
- How do they make people feel?
And then the big one: are we doing the same?
Final thought: admiration is earned
Let’s land this simply. Stakeholder engagement isn’t about managing people; it’s about valuing them. It’s a choice to lead with purpose, act with consistency and listen with intent. Because when you do that, trust grows and when trust grows, people don’t just accept what you’re doing. They believe in it. They support it. They champion it.
And that’s how you build organisations people admire, not just for what they produce, but for why they exist.
Rapport North 