You’re looking to advance your sustainability career. What’s the best way to communicate with stakeholders?

Communication is a key skill for any sustainability professional who wants to advance their career. Whether you're working on a project, a report, a campaign, or a policy, you need to be able to engage with different stakeholders and address their concerns, expectations, and interests. But how do you communicate effectively with stakeholders who have diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and agendas? In this article, we'll share some tips and best practices for communicating with stakeholders in the context of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and conflict resolution.

1 Identify your stakeholders

Before you start communicating, you need to know who your stakeholders are and what they care about. Stakeholders are any individuals or groups who are affected by or have an influence on your sustainability activities. They can include internal stakeholders, such as employees, managers, shareholders, and suppliers, and external stakeholders, such as customers, regulators, media, NGOs, and communities. To identify your stakeholders, you can use tools such as stakeholder mapping, analysis, or engagement surveys. These tools can help you understand the needs, interests, expectations, and power of each stakeholder group and prioritize them accordingly.

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Pallavi Mahajan

Oxford MBA | United Nations | Published Author | Chevening Scholar | Forté Fellow | TedX Speaker
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As a professional who career transitioned and has made sustainable career progression in the sustainability industry, I believe that advancing a sustainability career involves effectively communicating with stakeholders to build relationships, foster collaboration, and drive positive change. It is important to tailor one's communication approach to the specific needs, interests, and priorities of different stakeholder groups. It is also critical to use storytelling to bring sustainability initiatives to life and make them more relatable and engaging for stakeholders. Lastly, be persistent in your efforts to engage stakeholders and build relationships, even in the face of challenges or setbacks.

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2 Choose your channels

Once you have identified your stakeholders, you need to choose the best channels to communicate with them. Channels are the ways you deliver your messages, such as emails, reports, newsletters, websites, social media, presentations, meetings, or events. The choice of channels depends on several factors, such as the purpose, frequency, and tone of your communication, the size and diversity of your audience, the availability and accessibility of the channels, and the budget and resources you have. You should also consider the preferences and feedback of your stakeholders and use a mix of channels to reach them effectively.

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Karen Thivya Lourdes, PhD

Global Sustainable Sourcing Lead
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One thing I've noticed is networking in person or at least through virtual calls can be more effective than emails or letters that may not receive responses. The opportunity to connect through even a brief chat with stakeholders also allows you to build a slightly more personal relationship in addition to showcasing your professional interests.

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3 Craft your messages

After you have chosen your channels, you need to craft your messages that convey your sustainability goals, actions, results, and impacts. Your messages should be clear, concise, consistent, and credible. They should also be tailored to your specific stakeholder groups and address their concerns and interests. To craft your messages, you can use techniques such as storytelling, framing, or messaging matrix. These techniques can help you create compelling and persuasive messages that highlight the benefits and value of your sustainability efforts and invite your stakeholders to join or support you.

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4 Manage your conflicts

While communicating with your stakeholders, you may encounter conflicts or disagreements that arise from different views, values, or interests. Conflicts can be constructive or destructive, depending on how you handle them. To manage your conflicts effectively, you need to adopt a positive and respectful attitude and use skills such as active listening, empathy, negotiation, or mediation. These skills can help you understand the root causes and emotions of the conflicts, find common ground and mutual interests, and seek win-win solutions that satisfy all parties.

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5 Evaluate your communication

Finally, you need to evaluate your communication and measure its effectiveness and impact. Evaluation can help you assess whether you have achieved your communication objectives, reached your target audience, delivered your key messages, and influenced your stakeholders' attitudes, behaviors, or actions. To evaluate your communication, you can use methods such as surveys, interviews, feedback forms, analytics, or indicators. These methods can help you collect and analyze data and feedback from your stakeholders and identify the strengths and weaknesses of your communication and areas for improvement.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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You’re looking to advance your sustainability career. What’s the best way to communicate with stakeholders?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify your stakeholders

2 Choose your channels

3 Craft your messages

4 Manage your conflicts

5 Evaluate your communication

6 Here’s what else to consider

Corporate Social Responsibility

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You’re looking to advance your sustainability career. What’s the best way to communicate with stakeholders?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify your stakeholders

2 Choose your channels

3 Craft your messages

4 Manage your conflicts

5 Evaluate your communication

6 Here’s what else to consider

Corporate Social Responsibility

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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