AI with heart: Elevating stakeholder engagement
Engaging stakeholders on large projects requires more than periodic check-ins or the use of tools like surveys, interviews, and social media. It’s about fostering an ongoing connection. However, over the course of a multi-year project, this can become challenging. Teams change, consultants transition in and out, and insights can become fragmented - leaving behind reports that quickly lose relevance. This makes it difficult to maintain an understanding of stakeholders’ priorities, concerns, and emotions.
At Iceni, we have been developing a more empathetic approach to stakeholder engagement. We aim to create a clear, evolving understanding of stakeholders’ needs and sentiments. We are achieving this by leveraging AI to analyse diverse data sources and generate empathy maps. These maps visually represent stakeholders’ emotions and priorities, providing a foundation for more meaningful, inclusive, and impactful interactions.
Here are some ways empathy maps can enhance stakeholder engagement:
Ensuring project alignment: AI-powered empathy maps help align project goals and actions with stakeholders’ evolving values and priorities. This alignment fosters collaboration and creates a shared sense of purpose, ensuring stakeholders feel their input is genuinely shaping outcomes.
Proactively addressing concerns: AI enables the monitoring of sentiment to identify fears, frustrations, and emerging risks in real time. Empathy mapping translates these insights into actionable steps, allowing organisations to respond promptly and with compassion. Addressing concerns early helps build trust and reassures stakeholders that their perspectives are valued.
Tailoring engagement: Empathy maps highlight stakeholders’ passions, interests, and unique perspectives. This knowledge enables organisations to personalise engagement efforts, making participation more meaningful and fostering a sense of ownership in the project.
Delivering personalised communication: By combining AI insights with empathy maps, organisations can craft communication strategies that resonate with stakeholders. Providing timely, relevant, and personalised updates demonstrates genuine care and strengthens the sense of partnership.
Prioritising empathy in decision-making: Empathy maps visualize how decisions affect various stakeholder groups. AI analyses these impacts, guiding organisations toward inclusive and respectful decision-making. This ensures equitable outcomes and reinforces stakeholders’ confidence in the process.
By integrating empathy into stakeholder engagement - and leveraging AI as a key tool - organisations can create a continuous dialogue rooted in trust and understanding. This approach leads to stronger relationships, greater alignment, and more successful project outcomes. At Iceni, we believe that empathy is not just a valuable addition but an essential component of effective stakeholder engagement.
Celeste Davidson-Riza