Here are 4 tips on how to stay impartial when balancing varying stakeholder opinions on philanthropic projects: - Use your overarching goals to create a framework that you and your stakeholders can agree on and follow that can be used as a set of objective criteria to assess stakeholder input. - Quantify, track and monitor your progress by establishing precise measurements to provide clarity on the impact of stakeholder contributions to project outcomes. - Involve a neutral third-party as a mediator to help you navigate complex decisions. - Embrace diverse perspectives as openers to deeper conversation as this inclusivity can enrich the decision-making process and maybe even create a better solution for all.

Stakeholder Engagement should be focused with both external and internal parties. Stakeholders perceptions should be documented well in order to improve. Setting milestones from key indicators provided by Stakeholders will greatly improve an organization's profile. Staging of Annual Stakeholders workshops and providing feedback to the Stakeholders on improvements earmarked, with evidence increases trust, boosts investor confidence, empowers employees and at the same time scales down on unnecessary or unwarranted negative reviews. It also pushes Branding and dominates growth across a variety of operations. Managers also have the opportunity to score on their Annual KPIs.

You must stay true to the mission of the organization - always point to that mission and vision north star!🌟 People want to be heard, so listen. Don’t respond and let them talk. Depending on the points they bring up, you must relate back to mission. This isn’t about personal agendas or likes and dislikes. Be open to “try on” suggestions and always use the “and,” because most times many things are true.

For me, active listening is foundational. By creating an open space for stakeholders to share their perspectives, I ensure that every voice is heard and valued. This helps build trust and demonstrates a genuine commitment to understanding diverse priorities and concerns. Transparent communication plays an equally important role. I believe in maintaining clarity and honesty throughout the process, particularly when it comes to addressing conflicting viewpoints. Finally, I prioritize constructive conflict resolution. In my experience, these strategies not only balance stakeholder interests but also strengthen relationships and lead to better outcomes.

Focus on interests and not positions. Often folks are in “violent agreement” and do not realize it until someone highlights common interests. Discussion is too often conducted on the level of positions.