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Stakeholder Engagement (including Simulation)™

Blend instructor-led training with an innovative AI business gaming simulation to bring to life (in a risk-free, simulation environment) the universal challenge of gaining buy-in and building consensus across a range of people, many with conflicting agendas.

Introduction

Wouldn't it be great to bring to life the universal leadership challenge of gaining buy-in and approval across a range of interested parties, with often different and conflicting interests? So you can build your knowledge in the ‘soft’ skills of listening and influencing - and the techniques around building an effective communication plan. In a risk-free environment you will learn how to:

  • Understand, engage and manage different levels of stakeholder - inside and outside your organisation.
  • Develop positive relationship management skills for long-term success.
  • Manage difficult or complex stakeholder groups. 

Maximise your training budget

Multiple booking, NHS and charity discounts available, find out more...

 

Who is it for?

Anyone who needs to engage and influence their stakeholders and manage key relationships.

This workshop is not just for Project Managers, it's for individuals and teams, of any level, that need to engage and communicate effectively with their stakeholders.

The simulation has been used in project and general management training programmes and also a range of leadership initiatives too. It simulates many of the issues associated with corporate responsibility, including how to define the ultimate success criteria of projects and the value of reputation.

What's it all about?

Your career success depends on getting results. Stakeholders play a key part in business today. Building consensus and coalition among your stakeholders can make or break your success.

This workshop brings to life the universal challenge of gaining buy-in and building consensus across a range of people, many with conflicting agendas, by closing the learning gap between ‘knowing what to do’ and ‘actually doing it’.

For many years, team-based computer simulations have been used by medics, airline pilots, racing drivers and the armed forces, to hone their skills and reactions in life-like scenarios, without risk. The simulation is unique to this workshop, it will have you pitting your wits against intelligent, interactive software. You will engage with your “virtual stakeholders”, decide upon a course of action and deliver (and manage) the consequences. Building your communication ‘soft’ skills, as well as testing your ‘hard’ project skills. 

A trained facilitator will help you maximise your potential and will give a comprehensive review of the results. Through this process, you can benchmark performance and devise an individual action plan for use back in the workplace. The simulation (based on a package originally commissioned by Shell) is used by blue-chip organisations across the globe and by many of the leading MBA programmes.

What will you get out of it?

Wouldn't it be sensible to have some form of ‘driving lesson’ for those leading projects?  After all, aircraft pilots have simulators for their 'big projects' – so why can't we have management simulators? Mistakes in simulations don’t cost anything, we combine ‘learning by doing’ with facilitator feedback, a range of knowledge, tools and techniques to help you:

  • Identify, understand, engage and manage different levels of stakeholder – whether internal or external.
  • Gain buy-in to your plans by following a consultative approach to stakeholder engagement.
  • Increase your productivity, speed up projects and manage ambiguity with more authority and confidence.
"The whole point of simulations is to show cause and effect, where people aren't going to commit huge amounts of money, and create huge delays to real projects.  In the discussions and arguments that this simulation creates... I can hear the reality. So I am quite sure that this is the most powerful training tool in project management there is."  Dr Martin Barnes, CBE.  President of the Association of Project Management & Board Member of the Major Projects Association.

Typical workshop content

  • Introductions, objectives and background.
  • Stakeholders and identifying your stakeholder ‘challenges’.
  • Simulation warm-up exercise.
  • The simulation.
  • Simulation de-brief.
  • Transferring skills back into the workplace.


“The small number of hours you spend on the simulation is very, very powerful stuff. We use it on all our projects, in the early stages, and also during interim stages, as we are growing our management structure” - The  Mace Group

Workshop benefits

This workshop provides a range of knowledge, tools and techniques to help you -

Develop skills by doing:

  • Consult with your virtual stakeholders.
  • Decide upon a course of action.
  • Deliver (and manage) the consequences.

Change your behaviour:

  • Discovering is more powerful than 'being told'.
  • A trained facilitator will help you maximise your potential, with a comprehensive review.

Benchmark your performance:

  • Leave with a personal work action plan.

How it all works

TIME EFFICIENT: Run over one-day, this time-efficient programme is pragmatic for your people in today’s time-poor environment. Teams of three people go through the experience together, allowing them to verbalise, reflect and learn from the decisions they make and their results. For inhouse workshops we recommend four teams of three take part in the workshop, which adds a fun, competitive and lively element to the experience that delegates relish.

YOUR EXPERT INDIGO TRAINER:  Your facilitator, with proven project management and management experience, runs the workshop. Drawing out the learning and facilitating delegate discussions of how the learning relates back to their real project challenges – delegates will develop their own action plan to take back and implement.

MIXED CHALLENGES:  Most of our clients tell us that running a small project is challenging but doable - it’s the people, the politics and the personalities that cause the headaches. This workshop allows delegates to practice these 'people skills' -  through the medium of meetings, emails, phone calls and the media, without actually making career-limiting mistakes.

Who is a stakeholder?

A stakeholder can be an individual, a group – internal or external to your organisation; or another organisation that has an interest in, can be affected by, or affect your project or programme.

What is a Simulation?

Our simulations are a business game version of reality, attendees practice in safety, and hone their skills in a realistic (but not real) environment. Mistakes here don’t cost your organisation anything or harm personal or business reputations.

Duration and delivery methods available

A practical one-day workshop that is available as a face-to-face public workshop in the UK; as an online public workshop; as online learning for groups and teams; or at your choice of date and location, worldwide, if you have a group or team to train.

Training for trainers

Accrediting your own trainers is the most cost-effective way to offer Managing Stakeholders™ within your organisation or to your clients. After attending the workshop as a delegate, you or your in-house trainers will be taught by some of Indigo’s globally recognised Master Trainers, who have been specially authorised to train these programmes to other trainers, to the highest standard. Once successful, you will be authorised to dovetail our award-winning programmes into your organisations training plans, at a fraction of the normal cost.

Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

Stakeholders Engagement (including Simulation)™ can count towards your CPD recognition with leading professional bodies or trade organisations. You can normally record your attendance in the 'organised learning' or 'self-learning' sections. Please check with your membership organisation for more information.

Additional resources

Public workshops

See all workshop dates

Our most popular workshops are open to all and are ideal for individuals, smaller groups and those reviewing workshops before wider roll out. Delivered in major cities throughout the UK to small groups and online through our virtual learning plaforms.

  • Face-to-face classroom workshops - provide the best in-depth and exercise-packed experience. They are delivered between 9am and 5pm. Our venues are all located close to major public transport hubs. Delegates will receive a printed workbook and peripherals.

    We are determined to work with public workshop venues that provide the safest possible environment – the latest updates to what we are doing in conjunction with our partners can be found at: https://www.indigobusiness.co.uk/Workshops/calendar/Public-Workshop-Health-And-Safety-For-Delegates
  • Virtual learning sessions (0900-1700 UK Time) - highly interactive online modular delivery, using the Zoom platform (free to download and use at www.zoom.us/meetings). You will require access to a PC/Mac/tablet and internet connection, you will require a webcam, speakers/headphones and to enable your microphone, or you can simply dial in on your phone. 

    The format will be similar to face-to-face classroom workshops, we always cover a core programme. It is delivered using interactive group learning sessions, lots of practice, group and individual feedback and 1-2-1 trainer coaching. We combine this with the simulation, screen and document sharing, polls, interactive whiteboards and breakout rooms. Delegates are given access to an online workbook that they can use online, download to a device or download and print. Printed workbooks can be provided at additional cost.

You can reserve a place on this workshop at up to £595pp + VAT.

30 April 2024

London

Book now

26 September 2024

London

Book now

In-House workshops

Our in-house delivery option gives you the flexibility to train teams, groups and departments. Reducing delegate travel, training cost (significant saving when compared to our open public workshops) and environmental impact - as we train at your choice of location or online, in the UK or internationally. Options for tailoring content are available.

Prices quoted are based on 12 delegates per event, we can accommodate up to 18 delegates for an additional fee:

  • Face-to-face classroom workshops - delegates receive a printed workbook/materials.
  • Virtual learning sessions - delivered as highly interactive modular sessions using our Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Webex platforms or your own. Virtual workshops require access to a PC/Mac/tablet and internet connection, a webcam, speakers/headphones and enabled microphone, or attendees can simply dial in on their phone.

    The format will be similar to face-to-face classroom workshops, we always cover a core programme. It is delivered using interactive group learning sessions, lots of practice, group and individual feedback and 1-2-1 trainer coaching. We combine this with screen and document sharing, polls, interactive whiteboards and breakout rooms. Delegates receive access to an online workbook/materials that can be viewed online, downloaded to a portable device or printed. Printed workbooks are available at additional cost. 

Delegate places are available at from £430pp + VAT.

More details