Setting Up Regular Stakeholder Touchpoints

Where should our FM strategy start? Business goals or building and assets? So, let's say we're newly-hired FM leaders. What's one of the first things that we do? We do a walkthrough of all the areas under our care, right? And as FM pros, instinctively our first question is: “What do we need to fix or upgrade in the building?” This makes a lot of sense though. Of course, we need to know what we're actually dealing with and what needs to be done within the first 30-60-90 days - and what needs prioritization within the first 6 months and first year of our tenures. And yes - while these are all important; they shouldn’t be the starting point though. In my experience, strong FM strategy starts with the business - not the bricks. What’s the company trying to achieve this year? Growth? Cost discipline? Talent retention? Client experience? Risk reduction? Market expansion? Those goals should drive: -Where we invest CAPEX -How we prioritize maintenance -What sites we expand, consolidate, or exit -What services we automate or outsource -How we structure FM teams -What data we track and report So, how do we find these out? If you've been following me for quite some time, I'm sure you know that I put great importance to having those consistent one-on-ones with your immediate stakeholders - your "customers" per se (ie. department heads or the local leaders at your site - Ops, HR, IT, Finance, etc.). So, as early as onboarding, we need to make sure to get in touch with our "customers." We need to find out what their goals are, their expectations, their pain points, etc. - and work our strategy from there. And of course, like anything in business, everything changes - so we need to make sure to also have regular touch bases (monthly would be ideal). Doing so will save us time and effort in prioritizing the team's tasks - all the while ensuring that our strategy and process are aligned with the organization's goals at the get-go. And that's one effective way to introduce ourselves to our stakeholders as strategic business partners. So, instead of, "What do we need to upgrade/fix," taking on a Strategic FM mindset asks questions more along the lines of: “How does this site support revenue?” “How does this workspace help productivity?” “What risks could disrupt operations?” “What’s the cost of doing nothing?” “What capabilities will we need next year?” Now, here's something to think about: When FM is anchored only to assets, we stay reactive. When it’s anchored to business goals, we become partners. It’s less about chasing perfect buildings… and more about enabling the organization to move faster, safer, and smarter. #FacilitiesManagement #FMLeadership #StrategicFM #Leadership #WorkplaceOperations #PeopleLeadership

I walked into a room full of frustration. The project was off track, the budget was bleeding, and trust had worn thin. As the new project manager, I had 30 days to rebuild what was broken not just the plan, but the relationships. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭-𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐈 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐦 - 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. ▶ Day 1–5: I started with ears, not answers. - Active Listening & Empathy Sessions I sat down with stakeholders - one by one, department by department. No slides. No status updates. Just questions, empathy, and silence when needed. I didn’t try to fix anything. I just listened - and documented everything they shared. Why it worked: They finally felt heard. That alone opened more doors than any roadmap ever could. ▶ Day 6–10: I called out the elephant in the room. - Honest Assessment & Transparent Communication I reviewed everything - timelines, budgets, blockers, and team dynamics. By day 10, I sent out a clear, no-spin summary of the real issues we were facing. Why it worked: I didn’t sugarcoat it - but I didn’t dwell in blame either. Clarity brought calm. Transparency brought trust. ▶ Day 11–15: I delivered results - fast. - Quick Wins & Early Action We fixed a minor automation glitch that had frustrated a key stakeholder for months. It wasn’t massive, but it mattered. Why it worked: One small win → renewed hope → stakeholders leaning in again. ▶ Day 16–20: I gave them a rhythm. - Clear Communication Channels & Cadence We set up weekly pulse updates, real-time dashboards, and clear points of contact. No more guessing who’s doing what, or when. Why it worked: Consistency replaced confusion. The team knew what to expect and when. ▶ Day 21–25: I invited them to the table. - Collaborative Problem-Solving Instead of pushing fixes, I hosted solution workshops. We mapped risks, brainstormed priorities, and made decisions together. Why it worked: Involvement turned critics into co-owners. People support what they help build. ▶ Day 26–30: I grounded us in reality. -Realistic Expectations & Clear Next Steps No overpromising. I laid out a realistic path forward  timelines, budgets, trade-offs, and all. I closed the month by outlining what we’d tackle next together. Why it worked: Honesty created stability. A shared plan gave them control. In 30 days, we hadn’t fixed everything but we had built something more valuable: trust. And from trust, everything else became possible. Follow Shraddha Sahu for more insights

💣𝗛𝗥 𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵 #10: “𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵.” Here’s a classic line I hear from bosses. Yesterday we talked about the need for Performance Reviews, which led to today's, how much is enough? 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 “We review staff performance once a year during appraisal. That’s enough.” Not entirely correct. Annual reviews are outdated especially for small, fast-moving teams. 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲'𝘀 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 "I really don't know what's going on, I'm flying in pitch darkness" 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 How much can you accurately recall from 11 months ago? How useful is delayed feedback to your staff? If there is underperformance since March but only hears about it in December, you’ve lost 9 months of progress. Worst is, it can be construed as condonation to take action, which can also be ingrained as an accepted practice. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲? - Feedback comes too late to correct anything - Employees feel anxious - Surprises lead to demotivation - No regular tracking of goals or growth - It becomes a tick-box exercise, not a conversation 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 Move to a continuous feedback culture. This doesn’t mean adding more paperwork or systems. It means creating regular touchpoints to check in, realign and support your people. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝘆 1. Monthly 1-on-1 check-ins; just 20–30 minutes per team member “What’s going well? What’s not? How can I support you?” 2. Quarterly reviews; Focus on results, behavior & development Shorter and more specific than the year-end review 3. Real-time feedback; Praise good work on the spot Give gentle correction when mistakes happen 4. Set & review short-term goals; Break big KPIs into monthly or quarterly chunks Keep everyone aligned and accountable Real story: An operations exec kept getting a “3/5” in the annual appraisal. Thought it meant OK. Boss thought barely acceptable. No one said anything all year. Result? Staff unmotivated Boss frustrated Eventually the ops exec left, felt unvalued; this could’ve been avoided with monthly check-ins and mid-year conversations. 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 🚀Faster performance improvement 🤝Better manager-employee relationships 💬Higher engagement and job satisfaction 🔍Early detection of problems before they grow Remember, Feedback doesn’t have to be formal. It has to be frequent, focused, fair and documented. A quick WhatsApp note saying, “Great job with the proposal today it was clear and well-structured,” can do wonders. Annual reviews are a summary, not the main show. Don’t make your staff wait 12 months to know how they’re doing. Help them grow every week, every month, every quarter. That’s how you build a high-performing team. ******** I am Kevin Goh, Empowering People & Businesses | Building Modern HR for the Evolving Workplace

People often ask me how to get stakeholders engaged in UX research. My secret? I involve them in every step of the process. 1. Build empathy through direct participation Stakeholders need to feel what users feel. Getting them directly involved in user sessions is a game-changer. How? Invite stakeholders to observe user interviews or usability tests. Let them see the pain points and the joy users experience firsthand. 2. Establish regular UX check-ins Consistency is key. Regular updates keep stakeholders in the loop and reinforce the value of UX. How? Set up bi-weekly or monthly UX review meetings. Share progress, insights, and next steps to maintain ongoing engagement. 3. Share compelling stories and visuals Data is important, but stories and visuals make the impact real. Make your findings relatable and memorable. How? Use personas, journey maps, and video clips from user sessions. Present these in a narrative format that stakeholders can connect with emotionally. 4. Integrate UX into strategic goals Show how UX aligns with the broader business objectives. When stakeholders see the strategic value, they’re more likely to invest in UX. How? Connect UX goals with business metrics like customer satisfaction, retention, and revenue growth. Demonstrate how improving UX directly impacts these areas. 5. Make UX accessible and transparent Demystify UX research for stakeholders. The more they understand, the more they’ll value it. How? Create a shared space for all UX materials—reports, prototypes, research plans. Use simple, jargon-free language and provide clear explanations. 6. Celebrate wins together Highlight the successes that result from stakeholder collaboration in UX. Recognition goes a long way in building ongoing support. How? Share case studies where stakeholder involvement led to significant UX improvements. Celebrate these wins in team meetings and company newsletters. But the truth is… Involving stakeholders in UX research is not just a nice-to-have. It’s important for creating user-centered products and ensuring your research efforts lead to meaningful improvements. (We want to show our value right!) Want to build better products with engaged stakeholders? Start involving them in your UX research today! What are your secrets to engaging stakeholders in UX research? Share your thoughts and experiences below! 👇

Have you ever wondered why some businesses grow quickly while others stall? After two decades in sales consulting the answer keeps circling back to one idea: disciplined daily outreach. Flashy tech, clever funnels and viral posts help, yet nothing beats a structured rhythm of real conversations. My version of that rhythm is the Rule of 3+. It asks you to complete a few concrete actions before lunch every business day. First, call one prospect who fits your ideal client profile. Not an email, not a comment, a real phone call. The goal is one genuine exchange about their goals, fears and projects, not a scripted pitch. Second, speak with one center of influence, someone who regularly hears the problems you solve. Offer them a valuable introduction or resource. Treat this as deposit, not withdrawal. Third, reach out to one existing client, preferably an account you have not touched in thirty days. Ask what new problems are keeping them up at night. Finally, follow up with each contact in writing: a concise email, a handwritten note, or a quick article that delivers immediate value. Why does this low‑tech cadence outperform complex campaigns? Frequency builds familiarity, familiarity builds trust, and trust opens wallets. One conversation with each stakeholder group gives you a daily micro‑cycle of pipeline creation, referral cultivation and expansion revenue. Multiply that by twenty business days and you rack up at least sixty meaningful touchpoints every month. I leaned on this system when my consulting practice flatlined during the pandemic. In the first six months I logged 372 such calls. The result was more than one hundred thousand dollars of new business, entirely from referrals and up-sells. No ads, no webinars, no cold spam. Clients told me the personal approach felt rare in an era of automated noise. The Rule of 3+ also produces data you can bank on. Track calls completed, next steps scheduled and dollars booked. Suddenly sales forecasting becomes a math exercise instead of wishful thinking. If you need bigger numbers, increase the multiplier. Doing three of each action daily turns the dial from sixty to one hundred eighty high‑quality touchpoints a month without adding software or staff. Will every call be perfect? Absolutely not. Some prospects will ghost you, some clients will say they are happy, and some centers of influence will be too busy. That is fine. Success here is measured in conversations attempted, not flawless outcomes. Persistence smooths the variance. Try the Rule of 3+ for the next thirty days. Block ninety minutes on your calendar every morning, protect it like your first meeting with your biggest client, and log the results. Your pipeline will not explode overnight, but you will feel momentum within two weeks.

Nonprofit leaders, I've seen too many organizations treat their major donors like ATMs - only reaching out when they need a withdrawal. Here's the reality: Organizations that implement biannual check-ins with major supporters see higher retention rates and larger average gifts. But most nonprofits are missing this opportunity entirely. The Strategic Advantage: 🔍 Early Warning System - You'll spot donor fatigue, shifting priorities, or capacity changes before they impact your bottom line, not after. 📈 Organic Upgrade Opportunities - When supporters feel heard and valued, they naturally want to increase their investment. No awkward "asks" required. 🎯 Mission Alignment - Regular touchpoints let you course-correct your messaging and programs based on what your most invested stakeholders actually care about. What This Looks Like in Practice: I work with clients to structure these as 45-60 minute conversations (not presentations) focused on three questions: What impact are you most excited about from the past six months? What challenges or opportunities do you see that we might be missing? How has your own philanthropic focus evolved recently? When you book the meeting, make it clear that they will not be asked to make a donation. The ROI is undeniable. The organizations thriving in today's competitive giving landscape aren't the ones with the flashiest campaigns - they're the ones treating their supporters like the strategic partners they are. Your major supporters didn't just write a cheque. They bought into your vision. Honour that investment with intentional relationship stewardship. What's stopping your organization from implementing regular supporter check-ins?  ____________ Hi, I’m Shannon! I help small nonprofits grow their fundraising programs so they can focus on their zone of genius and change the world. If you liked this post, let’s connect on LinkedIn! #FundraisingStrategy #MajorGifts #DonorRetention #RelationshipFundraising

Management Tip 5/13: One-on-One Meetings. Have Them. Here's a story I've lived too many times: A manager calls, frustrated. "I need to do something about Jamie. Nothing's working." "Tell me more," I say, settling in for what I expect will be a revealing conversation. He describes a talented hire who started strong but is now missing deadlines and producing mediocre work. A client has complained, and he sees no choice but to begin managing Jamie out. "That sounds frustrating," I acknowledge. Then ask, "How often do you two connect one-on-one?" Pause. "We meet when there are issues to discuss." "So no regular weekly—or even monthly—check-ins?" "We're all so busy... honestly, none of my team has needed regular check-ins." I ask him to commit to four consecutive weekly meetings with Jamie before taking any action. Three weeks later, he calls back: "I owe you lunch. We just delivered our most challenging project ahead of schedule—and Jamie was a key contributor." What changed? Through consistent weekly meetings, issues were discovered: unclear expectations, competing priorities, and missing resources. Most importantly, Jamie had space to ask for help. I've seen this pattern throughout my career. Without regular touchpoints: • Small issues balloon into crises • Feedback comes too late to be actionable • Trust deteriorates • What appears as poor performance is actually disconnection This isn't about being friendly—it's about being effective. When managers tell me someone isn't performing, my first question is always about the consistency of their communication. Attached is the HUDL framework I developed (more details in the comments): • Health check (5 min) • Updates on goals (5 min) • Discussion and feedback (15 min) • List next steps (5 min) Every team's one-on-ones will differ, but this simple structure offers a place to start. Has a regular check-in practice transformed your leadership? Share your experience!

Do you leverage Success Plans for multi-threading and maintaining momentum during holidays and vacations? Maintaining momentum in customer adoption and renewals is critical, but can be difficult during the summer when key contacts may be on vacation. One effective strategy to address this challenge is leveraging Success Plans. Here’s how you can use them to multi-thread across accounts and prevent drop-off in adoption and stalls in renewal conversations: First, lets think of Success Plans as more than just a document that's a repository for action items. They are blueprints for ensuring that we are aligned with our customers on goals, milestones, and responsibilities. They provide a clear path forward, enabling proactive engagement and ensuring no momentum is lost. Here is how I approach multi-threading with Success Plans 1) Identify Key Stakeholders Map out all relevant stakeholders within the customer’s organization. Ensure that you have primary and secondary contacts for each key project/program/milestone. 2) Align Goals and Priorities Detail top business, departmental goals, and individual stakeholder goals, ensuring they are quantified and measurable. I ladder goals down like this: -- Top business goals -- Map business goals to departmental goals -- Map these to department leader goals so now I am at the stakeholder level -- Further map these to program goals -- Map these to champion/admin/main point of contact/individual contributor goals This alignment helps in connecting with various stakeholders and understanding their individual KPIs while ensuring they connect back to top priorities and business level goals (because at the end of the day this is what will make you stay relevant and win renewals). 3) Tactical Milestones Break down the overarching goals into specific, actionable milestones. Assign ownership and set clear due dates. This ensures continuous progress even if key contacts are away. 4) Communication Plan Define a robust communication plan. Schedule regular success calls and regular health checks. Use a mix of synchronous and asynchronous methods to keep everyone informed and engaged. The steps above should be table stakes. But there's more we can do to prevent vacation and summer slow downs: - Proactive Engagement: Before the holidays and vacations starts, identify potential vacation periods for key contacts and plan accordingly. - Secondary Contacts: Ensure secondary contacts are briefed and empowered to make decisions in the absence of primary contacts. - Regular Updates: Keep communication lines open with regular updates, ensuring everyone is in the loop. Be transparent and clear in communications. Be careful to keep everyone in the loop so nobody feels alienated or that we've 'gone around' them. Flexibility: Be prepared to adjust timelines and strategies based on the availability of key stakeholders. This will keep momentum. #customersuccess #sales #gotomarket

When leaders hear ‘Stakeholder Engagement...’ Many think meetings and newsletters. Attendance is easy to count but it is not the same as being meaningfully heard. Real engagement shifts from inform → involve → co-own. If people cannot point to the decisions they influenced or the risks, they helped to bring attention to, you have only counted attendance in rooms, not buy-in. What good engagement looks like in practice: · Earlier conversations about options and trade-offs · Named owners for benefits and operational risks. · Feedback loops that close with ‘what changed and why.’ · Manager enablement (talk notes, FAQs, next-week actions) so messages land locally. My rule of thumb: every touchpoint should change something such as: understanding, design, timing, support, or measures. Try this quick test this week: 1. Ask three stakeholders to explain why we are changing, no slides allowed. 2. Ask what decision they have influenced recently. 3. Ask what they will need to do differently next week. If 1–2 land as ‘not sure,’ you have got coordination, not engagement. ♻️If you enjoyed this content-Repost to add value. 🔔  →Follow Alicia James for weekly Change Insights-Fresh Perspectives Every Week.  →DM for workshops, training and speaking engagements

Fellow UXers, I’m telling you exactly what you DON’T want to hear today. Because I’ve learned that this stuff’s JUST as crucial as measuring the value of your work… 🚨 I talk a lot about connecting your work to ROI, because it’s important! BUT, there is another thing that is equally (if not more!) important for progressing in your UX career, and that is… drum roll 🥁 … learning how to set and manage expectations, communicate, and essentially be super organized. Yes, ugh, this is the boring stuff… but being truly excellent at design work will only get you so far. You need to excel at these other things to build stakeholder trust and grow your career. 🏗️ UX professionals (at ALL levels of experience) need to: 📅 Plan, plan, plan — Figure out how to create a schedule for your project, and how to break your work down into phases and organized steps. Share this plan with your stakeholders before any actual research or design work starts. 🚦Set and manage expectations — When sharing your plan, make sure you tell stakeholders explicitly about potential roadblocks. Do this over and over again as the project continues, and you’ll almost never have major issues, because you’ve called out all the red flags and mitigated risks throughout. Think about setting up a weekly status email and call. 📌Collaborate and work in the open — Show progress updates to stakeholders often, involve them in decision-making and get their feedback on your plans, research tools/materials, design concepts, etc. They’ll never be surprised, and you’ll ensure the outcomes of your work are in line with their expectations. 📩 Be responsive — Always reply to emails and messages in a timely manner, ideally within four hours, or sooner if the project is time sensitive. Make sure to answer any questions clearly and concisely. This builds trust because your stakeholders will know that you’re dependable. 🔄Listen and integrate — Listen to your stakeholders, take in their feedback, address their concerns, assuage their fears, and integrate their ideas into your work. (Most people are afraid you’ll unearth pain points that will reflect poorly on them. Debunk this! They’re part of the solution.) 🗂️Keep files organized — Perhaps the most boring of all…. Keep your stuff organized. Use proper file names, organize folder structures, and ensure everyone has access. Sorry (not sorry) for the dose of reality! You can’t skip the boring tasks if you want to grow your career in UX. Agree or disagree? #UXCareer #UXWorkTips #UXStrategy #UXAlignment #StakeholderManagement