Stakeholder convenings have long been part of the CSR reporting process - they form a critical element in the assurance process.
But recently we are finding them increasingly powerful during the strategic planning phase of CSR.
Two current examples from Glasshouse’s workstream: 1. a global software supplier using stakeholder convening to define its long-list of ‘material’ issues, and 2. a global apparel-maker using a convening to road-test its environmental strategy before a major corporate marketing roll-out.
The power, in both cases, is for the often silo-ed teams within CSR, marketing and communications to engage their operational colleagues and external friends and foes. It bring structured direct testimony of critical friends into the planning cycle.
Strategies don’t get made there and then; but major boundary-lines get drawn; assumptions get challenged, and competitive context is injected without lengthy and dusty report-writing.
Done right, with a full understanding of corporate marketing, and a strong structured process, stakeholder convenings can turbo-charge your strategic thinking.