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 All organisations have internal and external interest groups or stakeholders. Teams of people or other organisations who have interests in their activities, projects, or programmes.
Stakeholder consultation is key to successful outcomes, but co-ordinating input efficiently and sensitively with the minimum of fragmentation is often not easy. AiM has expertise in setting up, organising and co-ordinating Communities of Interest (CoIs). a homogenous, organised unit for harnessing consultative output to best effect. AiM acts as the impartial facilitator focusing on the interests of all parties in a fair and equitable way. This sends a clear message that stakeholder input is important, whilst at the same time making sure that it is done as effectively, efficiently and timely as possible.
We can undertake this service within or outside an organisation. Internally this might involve sounding out staff views in advance of a particular strategic action, creating a staff council, or bringing representatives from different countries together with common interests. Externally, this might involve the setting up of focus groups, special purpose teams, lobby groups or public relations. In addition, CoI dynamics have a role to play in complex negotiations, arbitration and the setting up of charitable foundations. CoIs can therefore be short term, long term or permanent.
Activities key to CoI success comprise:
- Understanding the CoI make-up and profile in terms of interests and impact
- Agreeing CoI vision and objectives
- Creating the community of members based upon the shared values of interest, belief, commitment and contribution
- Demonstrating listening, fairness and understanding through a charter or pledge system - making it visible that the views of the community matter
- Implement a first class multi-way communication system between the parties.
We also apply our CoI method to a very original team building training course for management and top teams, by assessing a team as a community. This approach recognises that an organisation, its people and customers form a dynamic cluster of communities who although may have common objectives and aspirations, may have very different beliefs about how they are to be delivered. Unless the communities are defined, understood and in agreement, harmful conflict can result and objectives will not be met. Click here for more information.
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