Herding Cats – Managing the Owner’s Internal Stakeholders

The Challenge Series - Herding Cats – Managing the Owner’s Internal Stakeholders

Managing internal stakeholders on a capital project can feel a lot like herding cats—each one pulling in a different direction, driven by the priorities of their own department or function. While every internal stakeholder has a vested interest in the project, their focus on individual goals can sometimes conflict with one another—or worse, derail the project entirely. 

 

Without a structured system for balancing these interests, Owners risk scope creep, budget overruns, decision paralysis, and internal conflict that undermines ROI and overall success. 

 

 The Dangers of Unmanaged Internal Stakeholders: 

  • Scope Creep: Additions to scope—whether physical or qualitative—without holistic alignment. 
  • Budget Overruns: Resulting from scope changes, uncontrolled change orders, or late-stage additions. 
  • Schedule Delays: Delayed decisions, redesigns, claims, and escalations due to unclear roles or conflicting priorities. 
  • Compromised Project Goals: When the project’s overall purpose is lost in departmental agendas. 
  • Internal Conflict: Breakdowns in communication and collaboration among team members. 

 

 Taming the Chaos: Tenzing One’s Approach to Stakeholder Management 

To manage internal stakeholders effectively, Owners need a structured, transparent process—one that clarifies roles, facilitates timely decision-making, and ensures that everyone works toward a shared goal. Here’s how Tenzing One helps bring order to the chaos: 

 

  • Clarify Project Goals Early and Often 

Clearly communicate the overarching goals and ROI drivers of the project to all authorized stakeholders. Tenzing One supports a structured project definition process, enabling stakeholders to evaluate physical, qualitative, and programmatic options—arriving at an optimized balance of scope, budget, and value to the Owner’s core enterprise. 

 

  • Assign Designated Stakeholders 

Appoint individuals who will represent specific departments or interests within the organization. Tenzing One allows these stakeholders to be identified and assigned specific levels of access—ensuring only the right people are involved in the right conversations. 

 

  • Define Decision-Making Authority 

Establish and document clear authority levels across the internal team. Tenzing One tracks approval roles across all budget items. When an issue arises, it is flagged, assigned to the correct stakeholder, and monitored with due dates, reminders, and status updates on executive dashboards. 

 

  • Engage Stakeholders in Early Planning 

Bring key stakeholders into the Project Definition phase when the project is most flexible and alignment is easiest to achieve. Tenzing One’s intuitive interface, centralized communication, and topic-based data access make it easy for stakeholders to stay engaged, collaborate effectively, and align early—laying the groundwork for shared success. 

 

  • Ensure Timely, Transparent Communication 

Stakeholders need up-to-date information to make confident decisions. Tenzing One ensures 24/7 access to current project data, with dynamic issue tracking and decision-making tools that ensure no one is left in the dark. 

 

  • Build Trust with Continuous Transparency 

Regular, real-time status reporting increases stakeholder confidence and keeps the internal team engaged. Tenzing One provides customizable dashboards and reports tailored to each stakeholder’s needs—ensuring clarity without information overload. 

  • Work from One Source of Truth 

With Tenzing One, all stakeholders operate with the same, up-to-date information. That means fewer miscommunications, faster decisions, and better teamwork—because everyone is on the same page, literally. 

 

Conclusion: 

Stakeholder alignment isn’t a luxury—it’s essential. With Tenzing One, Owners can harness the input of diverse internal voices without losing project cohesion. By structuring communication, clarifying roles, and centralizing decision-making, the chaos becomes manageable—and your project stays on track. 

 

Ready to stop herding cats and start managing projects with clarity? 

Book a Discovery Call and learn how Tenzing One keeps internal teams aligned from day one. 

Reach out to info@tenzingone.com to learn more