Effective Stakeholder Communication

Most project managers don't give bad status updates. They give useless ones. They mistake motion for progress. Stakeholders can't make decisions because they don't understand what you actually need. Use The Status Update Stack: 1/ Activity → "Here's what we did this week." → Lists tasks and meetings → Feels productive but drives nothing → Stakeholders zone out → Most PMs never move past this 2/ Progress → "Here's what actually changed." → Connect work to measurable outcomes → Shows momentum, not just motion → People see real movement → This step builds confidence 3/ Risk → "Here's what could derail us." → Surface problems before they explode → Include probability and impact → Stakeholders can actually help solve → This is where trust gets built 4/ Decision → "Here's what I need from you." → Clear asks with specific deadlines → Removes all ambiguity → Drives immediate action → This is where value actually lives Most PMs stay stuck at Level 1. Then wonder why projects drift. Status updates aren't about documenting your time. They're about driving stakeholder decisions. ♻️ Repost and follow Justin Bateh, PhD for more.

A breakdown in trust, not numbers, is the No:1 reason deals fall apart. In private equity we obsess over business models, niches, and value creation, but long-term value still starts and ends with people. The most important signal in any deal is rarely on the spreadsheet. Look to the room. How does a founder or CEO answer the hard questions? How do teams navigate under pressure? How quickly did they build trust, or lose it? The best transformations don’t come from the most elegant plans; they come from alignment, belief, and shared conviction across leadership teams. That’s why I test for three things early in every partnership: ✅ Transparency: Can we speak openly when things go wrong? ✅ Resilience: Do we both want long-term value, not short-term optics? ✅ Mutual respect:Do we treat each other as partners, not just stakeholders? At the end of the day, capital may accelerate the business. But only trust will sustain it.

Conservationists like to think facts speak for themselves. They don’t. In a world where allegiance often trumps evidence, who delivers the message often matters more than what’s being said. The same data, spoken by a nurse instead of a scientist, can land differently. In Amazonia, credibility travels along social lines. Farmers listen to agronomists, not activists. Urban families may heed pediatricians warning about heat-related illness before they trust an NGO ad. Pastors, teachers, and co-op leaders often reach places journalists and policymakers cannot. Matching voice to audience isn’t a branding exercise; it’s simply being honest about how people decide what to believe. That realism also means differentiating the message without diluting it. Indigenous leaders remain central, both as stewards and as narrators of success on their lands. Yet many who influence the forest’s future—like mayors, truckers, ranchers, and small business owners—don’t identify with Indigenous causes. Messages typically work best when they’re tailored to their audience: stewardship told as rainfall insurance for farmers, public-health policy for city dwellers, and fiscal stability for mayors who need predictable budgets. The goal isn’t to make everyone an environmentalist; it’s to make the forest relevant to each person’s daily choices. None of this can be faked. Trust is borrowed first and earned slowly. It grows when people see that acting on information pays, as in lower bills, steadier harvests, clearer skies, or fewer fires. For communicators, the task is to equip credible messengers with verified, usable material: sermon guides, WhatsApp videos, radio spots, farm bulletins, and committee briefs. Over time, authority shifts from the messenger to the message itself. What saves the forest, in the end, may not be a single voice but a variety—each carrying the same plain facts: e.g. protecting forest keeps rain falling; law in the Amazon means law at home; standing forest cools the air; healthy ecosystems make for healthy economies. Repetition stops being spin and starts being education. Once that logic comes from trusted voices, it no longer sounds like activism. It just sounds obvious. [I contributed a section on how to communicate about the Amazon for 'The Endangered Amazonia' report, published by COICA ORG this week. This is the second of three parts summarizing my contribution. This one is titled, "Why the messenger matters in efforts to save the Amazon] 👉 The report: https://lnkd.in/gpZs8JBW

Your evaluation was rigorous. Your report killed it. You designed the methodology carefully. You interrogated the findings until you were confident they were right. Then you wrote a 80-page document. It buried the most important finding on page 34, and.. submitted it to a stakeholder who read the executive summary on a flight and never opened it again. The evaluation was good. The report undid it. And this isn't a personal failing. It's a sector-wide one. The development sector produces thousands of evaluation reports every year. Most of them change nothing. The writing is why. Not the data. Not the methodology. Not the sampling strategy or the theory of change. The writing. 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘁𝘄𝗼, 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗼. They're dense where they should be direct. Cautious where they should be bold. Written to demonstrate expertise rather than to communicate it. And the people who needed to act on the findings... the minister skimming between meetings, the programme manager already stretched thin, the donor trying to decide whether to renew, they encountered a wall of jargon, a forest of tables, and a recommendation section so hedged and generalised it could apply to any programme anywhere. So they didn't act. Or they acted on instinct instead of evidence. Because the report didn't give them a choice. Here's how to do better... 1. Write for a real audience, not an abstract one ↳ Not “stakeholders” ↳ The specific person who will use this ↳ The minister with 5 minutes ↳ The programme manager under pressure ↳ The donor deciding on funding If you don’t know who you’re writing for, you’ll default to writing for yourself. 2. Start with the decision, not the methodology ↳ What needs to change because of this report? Write to that. 3. Lead with the answer ↳ Don’t make people work for the insight Page 1 should tell them what matters 4. Design for use, not submission ↳ A report is not the final product A decision is ---- Want insights like this directly in your inbox? Sign up for my mailing list. It's FREE! 👉 https://lnkd.in/ec8mqV2M

Trust rarely breaks in one dramatic moment. More often, it leaks out through small behaviors: the extra layer of control, the delayed decision, the missing transparency, the sudden shift in tone, or the instinct to protect before creating value. That is what makes trust so important in negotiation. I know this not only from years of working with negotiators around the world, but also from my doctoral research, which examined trust in negotiation and its impact on behavior and outcomes. Most people still treat trust as a soft concept. It is not. Trust has economic impact. When trust is low, negotiations take longer, stakeholders become more defensive, approvals multiply, flexibility disappears, and value creation gets replaced by value protection. The result is friction, higher cost, slower decisions, and weaker deals. This is also why I continue to say that negotiation is not just about tactics, pressure, or arguing well. It is about understanding both the structure of the deal and the quality of the relationship surrounding it. If you want better outcomes, do not just listen to what the other side says. Watch what their behavior is telling you. That is often where the real negotiation begins. I put together the quick guide below to help identify some of the early warning signs that trust may be lower than it appears. Download and use it as a checklist. Which trust signal do you see most often in real negotiations? #Negotiation #Trust #Leadership #SMARTnership #TrustCurrency #NegoEconomics #Procurement #Sales BMI Executive Institute World Commerce & Contracting AAU Executive - MBA and HD at Aalborg University

I’ve sent 10,000+ cold emails in my career. Those emails have generated $100M+ in revenue. Here are 11 tips to help you 10x your response rates: 1. Set Your Expectations If you're new to cold emailing, expect a 5% response rate. As you improve, you can boost that to ~20%+. It's important to know that the best cold emailers still hear "No" far more than they hear "Yes." But you only need a few "Yeses" to win. 2. Email Multiple Contacts Most people send one email to one contact and give up. Emailing multiple people increases your surface area for success. You never know who you'll catch at the right moment! I personally recommending emailing 5 different people at your target org. 3. Your Subject Line Data from multiple sources shows that subject lines with the highest response rates: - Are 2-4 words long (Boomerang) - Ask a question (Yesware) - Are ambiguous (Boomerang) My favorites are: - Quick Question? - Mentioning You? - [Result] In [Y] Time? 4. Write Like A 3rd Grader Data shows that emails written at a 3rd grade level see the highest response rates. That means: ✅ Use plain, simple language ❌ Avoid complex words and jargon I love HemingwayApp's Readability score for this. 5. Be Positive! Data also shows that a positive tone can boost response rates by ~15%. Aim to have a casual, positive vibe in your writing. To get there, pretend like you're writing this email to a friend. Also try to write the way that you speak. 6. Use A 3 Second Hook Most emails start with something like: "Hope you're having a good day!" That's boring. Instead, hook your contact with a personalized, value-driven statement. Ex: "Hey Tim, I want to help [Company] 3x your CVR in 30 days, below are 3 ways to do it." 7. Over Deliver On Value People avoid click bait. Your hook might seem that way, so follow it up with even more value: - Share relevant ideas - Show how to implement them - Provide real data The goal is to get your contact to take action and see real value. 8. Use Social Proof Social proof is one of the most effective trust builders. Weave it into your email in the form of: - Mentioning a mutual contact - Linking to case studies - Including testimonials The key is to do this naturally, not like a brand marketing email. 9. Use An "Exit Clause" No one wants to feel pressured. Everyone wants control. Tap into both by ending your email with an "Exit Clause." This is a statement when you recognize their time and give them an easy "out." 10. Follow Up! 44% of cold emailers give up after the first attempt. But 60% of prospects say "No" four times before they say "Yes." If you want to win? You need to follow up! I personally recommend four follow ups every 5 business days. Use Yesware to automate these.

I analyzed 1,000+ cold emails. Here's what actually works: Forget gurus and "secret formulas." The best cold email messaging comes from understanding your buyers and practicing relentlessly. 5 key elements of high-performing cold emails: 1. Personalization that shows you've done your homework • Reference a recent company announcement or LinkedIn post • Mention a specific challenge in their industry 2. Clear value proposition in the first 2 sentences • What specific problem can you solve? • Quantify the potential impact (e.g., "10% revenue boost in 30 days") 3. Social proof tailored to their situation • Name-drop similar companies you've helped • Share a relevant case study snippet 4. Clear, low-friction call-to-action • Avoid asking for call or demo in the first email • Offer a valuable resource (no strings attached) 5. Brevity and scannable format • 3-5 short paragraphs max • Use bullet points for easy reading The real "secret"? Continuous testing and improvement. No AI or guru can replace hands-on experience with your specific audience. #ColdEmailing #InsideSales #B2BSales #SaaSales

Here’s a cold email that got a positive response. Plus the psychology behind why it worked, so you can apply it with your own prospects. The Cold Email: ______ Hey Josh, I watched a few of your YouTube videos and noticed you’re using Canva for your thumbnails. The challenge with YouTube is that thumbnails make or break CTR. Low CTR → the algorithm shows it less → fewer impressions → even great videos get buried. I’ve been creating thumbnails for 6 years and would like to offer to do yours. I put together a few (attached), along with a breakdown of the psychology behind them. Pay per thumbnail, so no commitment. Even if we never talk again, hopefully this gives you some ideas that might boost clicks on your videos. James ______ Why This Works: Personal Observation → Relevance You start with something specific (“noticed you’re using Canva for your thumbnails”). This makes it feel like you’ve paid attention, not blasted a template. The reader feels seen, which lowers their defenses. 2. Problem Before Solution → Attention By highlighting the thumbnail → CTR → algorithm → impressions chain, you frame the cost of the problem before offering anything. Humans are wired to pay more attention to potential losses than gains. 3. Value Up Front → Trust Instead of telling them you could help, you’ve already done work (thumbnails + psychology breakdown). This flips the script: you’re showing, not pitching. Trust is built by giving before asking. 4. No CTA. Without a CTA, the reader feels no pressure, just curiosity. If they like the work, they’ll naturally reply. This protects autonomy, which is critical people resist pressure but lean toward curiosity. 5. Objection Diffuser → Safety By addressing “No commitment. Pay as you go,” you preempt a common hidden objection (fear of being locked in). That makes it safer for them to engage, since there’s less perceived risk.

**5 tips for active listening to be more neuroinclusive Active listening is a crucial skill for building neuroinclusive workplaces, classrooms, and communities. Many neurodivergent individuals process information differently—whether through delayed processing, needing more structure, or preferring specific forms of communication. Here are five simple but impactful ways to ensure your listening is truly inclusive: 1. Pause and allow for processing time Not everyone can respond immediately. Giving extra thinking time without interrupting or rushing allows people to process and articulate their thoughts. Silence isn’t discomfort—it’s space. 2. Use multiple communication modes Not everyone communicates best through spoken conversation. Offer alternatives like chat, email, or visuals to support different needs. Checking in with, “Would you prefer to share in writing?” can make a big difference. 3. Check for understanding—not assumption Rather than assuming someone has understood (or that you have understood them), ask open-ended questions like, “Would you like me to clarify anything?”. This avoids miscommunication. 4. Minimise distractions Background noise, bright lights, or a busy environment can make listening and processing harder for some people. Where possible, create quieter, low-stimulation spaces. 5. Respect different conversational styles Some neurodivergent people may speak in detail, go off-topic, or use different pacing. Be patient and focus on the key messages. True listening isn’t just about hearing words—it’s about understanding and making space for diverse ways of communicating. Small changes can lead to a big impact on inclusion.

Making People feel Heard Active listening is promoted widely these days - rightly so. And, how can you go beyond active listening when you need to handle challenging situations. When someone is very angry (especially at you 😊), it becomes challenging to tackle the issue. Recently a colleague was very upset with me for doing (or actually not doing) a task he was expecting me to to do. My gut reaction was to give a snarky reply. Then I suddenly remembered a mantra shared by my mentor. We often tend to go into solution mode and offer our way of resolving the problem. In my experience, frequently, others do not expect you to provide a solution. They just need to feel heard. This is the process I followed: 1.     I imagined the person was in a plastic bubble and his words did not impact me. Had I got triggered and responded angrily, this technique would not have worked. 2. Asked him how he felt and what his thoughts were on the issue. I empathized with his condition. 3. Paraphrased his words, while prefacing with “My understanding is” and re-used some of his words. I also added my perception of his feelings of anger and being upset. Subtly tried to use similar body gestures and pace of voice, without appearing to mimic him. 4. Asked him “Have I expressed you correctly”? If he had agreed, we would have had a common understanding. But when he said “Not really”, I went to the next step. 5. Repeated step 2 of asking him how he really felt and his thoughts on the matter and listened much more attentively. I paraphrased my response again. He felt I had expressed his feelings well. I would have continued this process till he agreed with my interpretation of his thoughts and feelings. By them, the core issue was clear, and my colleague felt himself being heard and was in a position to discuss the issue calmly and logically. In other cases, I have found that the issue has already been resolved at this stage. Being present with the other person and feeling heard is a great gift you can give to others. What technique do you use to handle such situations? Do share in the comments below. #CareerCoach #LifeCoach #Leadership