Discussion: Identifying and Engaging Stakeholders for Strategic Planning

Stakeholders can facilitate the success, or failure, of a strategic plan.

Identifying internal and external stakeholders and building productive relationships should be an intentional and well-conceived part of the strategic planning process. As a nurse leader-manager involved in strategic planning, it is important that you consider who could be impacted by a proposed change and how the change may affect individuals’ roles, responsibilities, and relationships. It is also essential to think about which stakeholders may be able to offer expertise, capital, and/or sway to help exercise the strategic plan and generate buy-in.

In this Discussion, you identify stakeholders who can assist with carrying forward a strategic plan.

Your Instructor has assigned you to a small group for this Discussion. Craft your stakeholder description independently; through the collegial exchange that follows, you will offer each other suggestions for refinement. As in Weeks 2 and 3, use this small group Discussion to delve deeply into the concepts being presented as they are foundational to this course.

To prepare:

• Reflect on a planned change effort you have experienced. Consider the following questions:
  • How do you think stakeholder involvement may have impacted the outcome of this planned change?
  • Were the right stakeholders involved? Did the stakeholders help to carry out the plan as needed?
  • Should other stakeholders have been engaged? If so, how could relationships with additional stakeholders have been cultivated to better support the plan?
  • How does reflecting on this instance of planned change inform your perspective on what is needed to engage stakeholders to successfully promote other strategic changes?
• Review the Mountain View Health Center case study, and reflect on the focus of your postings in the Week 2 Discussion 2 and the Week 3 Discussion.
• Conduct additional research as necessary to strengthen your understanding of the process of involving stakeholders in strategic planning and to deepen your thinking about the organization. For instance, you may research organizations with similarities to Mountain View, and examine information related to stakeholder involvement.
• Consider the following questions:
  • Which internal and external stakeholders should be involved in strategic planning related to this case study?
  • What assets and/or perspectives would each of these stakeholders offer to the process?
  • What role would each potential stakeholder play in helping to move forward a strategic plan?
  • When and how should the stakeholders become involved?
  • How would you cultivate relationships with these stakeholders to produce the best possible results?
  • How would the appropriate selection of stakeholders and their involvement promote the likelihood of successful adoption and implementation of a strategic plan?

By Day 3

Post a description of internal and external stakeholders who should be involved in strategic planning at Mountain View Health Center. Propose strategies for cultivating relationships with these stakeholders. Explain how their involvement would promote the likelihood of success for the strategic plan.