How to Build Stakeholder Relationships Before a Crisis

Here's how a simple strategy accelerated Sahan Journal's growth. It wasn't just about having a great idea. It wasn't about crafting a detailed business plan. And it wasn't about creating an attractive product. Yes, these elements are important, but they're not the main drivers of growth. The secret to our growth was consistent, transparent communication with our strongest supporters and stakeholders. Here's how I did it: • Building connections: Initially, my focus was on building and deepening relationships. I added contact information of people I knew or met—friends, program officers, major donors, and industry leaders—to my Gmail contacts list. • Monthly updates: I sent monthly updates to these contacts for the first few years. I shared our progress, highlighted successes and challenges, and always included a call to action. This intensive approach quickly boosted Sahan's visibility in the philanthropic and journalism circles, resulting in increased funding opportunities. • Adapting to growth: As my personal and professional responsibilities grew, I adjusted the frequency of updates from monthly to bi-monthly, then quarterly. My commitment to communication never wavered. I even began repurposing board reports for broader stakeholder updates, keeping everyone informed. Why is this approach so important? Your stakeholders believe in your vision and want to see it become a reality. They're invested in your success. Regularly updating them builds trust, generates excitement, and ultimately fuels your organization's growth. It shows you value their support and invites them to be active partners in your journey. Without their support, an idea remains just that. But with open and transparent communication, it can blossom into something amazing. As a startup or nonprofit leader, neglecting to send regular updates to stakeholders can hinder your organization's potential. In future posts, I'll dive deeper into the art of crafting impactful updates and share some real-world examples. Stay tuned. * * * Found this useful? Please share it with your network 🔁 and follow me, Mukhtar M. Ibrahim, for more content like this. Become part of our growing community.

I recently had the pleasure of presenting on crisis comms to a group of Central Washington University students. It’s a topic I get asked about all the time, so sharing 6 key learnings I usually highlight: 1) Preparation is key – If you wait until you are in a crisis to think about your plans, you’re starting at a huge deficit. Scenario plan early and build out as much process/content as you can so you have a running start when the time comes. With careful planning and an early warning system in place, you may even be able to intercept an issue before it turns into a full-blown crisis. 2) Stakeholders (and their roles) matter – A critical part of preparedness: who needs to be involved and in what capacity. Who is the decision maker, who needs to be informed, who is part of the working group, etc. It will vary based on the situation, so see point #1 and get this sorted out in advance. Including how to reach people after hours. 3) Get the facts first ­– Resist the urge to “message” a situation or talk tactics until you understand the facts, including what is unknown. A comms strategy is only as good as the data it is based on; faulty information = faulty strategy. 4) Consider ALL audiences – Customers, partners, employees, the local community, etc. Again, it will vary by situation but things can go sideways fast if you forget about a major audience. You need to own your story across all of them. Pro tip: If you find yourself prioritizing press as your top audience (vs. say, customers or employees), you’re probably doing it wrong. 😊 5) Third parties can tip the scales – They can work in your favor or they can keep fanning the flames. For any given situation think about who can be an advocate…and who is likely to be a detractor. For those who are advocates, remember to nurture those relationships over time vs. simply tapping them when you need something. 6) Practice, practice, practice – The best way to ferret out gaps is to do a few practice drills. But don’t pick a day/time where everyone is around, has time available, etc. Mimic a real scenario which likely includes a couple key people being on vacation, on the road, tied up in all day meetings, etc. The final bit of advice I give people: keep calm. Comms leaders have a unique opportunity to set the tone. Showing up as calm and in control can go a long way to settling others’ nerves. (And yes, it’s completely fair to be stressing out internally/privately.) Joe Tradii thanks again for the opportunity to spend time with your students! #PR #CrisisComms #VoxusPR

People remember when they weren’t included in things that should have involved them. And it's hard to win them back when you need them in the future. I can speak to this because I stay happily busy working the community relations and PR side of public-private partnerships (PPP). I like it when different groups collaborate to deliver public service or community-needed and supported projects. 💕 So, my biggest red flag warning for leaders starting one of these projects is: 1. INCLUDE 2. INFORM 3. LISTEN … and show the rationale behind who the project leadership is, how planning will be executed, and why decisions are being made. Because you really do need to earn public consent with PPP initiatives. This is not just for the short-term building block phase but also for the longer-term success of the project. If you ignore communicating with the right people, that poor decision can, and likely will, delay or even derail a project. Worse, project stakeholders, funders, voters, and user groups will remember how they felt when you disregarded their input or involvement. So, as you start up, don’t forget to include and listen to the people the project will serve and depend on for its short and long-term success. So, do you have communications, specifically community relations, as part of your PPP strategy plan? If you don't, why not? 📷 : Some of my favorite PPP partners with Friends of the Woodman's Center.