Stakeholder and community engagement are becoming increasingly important in public projects. This has led to a growing need for new engagement professionals, often stepping into these roles from different fields. Whether you are a Community Liaison Officer, Community Engagement Officer, or a Stakeholder Engagement Specialist, you might find yourself trying to figure out the best way to handle your new responsibilities.

We spoke with experienced engagement professionals to find out what pitfalls newcomers should watch out for. In this blog, we share seven of these pitfalls, so you can learn from the mistakes others have already made. Use this to your advantage!

1. Failing to prepare thoroughly

Every project environment is unique and has its own set of challenges. It is crucial to research the stakeholders involved and understand their interests, concerns, and sensitivities. By identifying all risks and opportunities upfront, you can create a focused approach. Share this plan with the stakeholders to ensure everyone is on the same page and to avoid unpleasant surprises.

2. Ignoring the silent majority

During open houses, information sessions, and participation meetings, a small group often dominates the conversation. Be careful not to assume these vocal individuals represent the majority of stakeholders. One angry resident’s opinion does not necessarily reflect the views of the entire community.

Make sure to engage with the silent majority as well. Do not just focus on appeasing a few loud voices, as this can lead to simply putting out fires instead of preventing them in the first place.

3. Keeping issues hidden from stakeholders

It is common to hide negative situations during a project, hoping to avoid stirring up trouble. However, this approach carries a significant risk. If people later find out that mistakes were made or commitments were not kept, and you tried to cover it up, it will come back to bite you.

Trust is the foundation of effective engagement. Once trust is broken, you will face a sceptical project environment for the remainder of the project. It is better to admit your mistakes honestly, explain how you plan to fix them, and detail how you will prevent similar issues in the future. This helps build trust.

4. Overlooking the Importance of Sharing Successes

In stakeholder and community engagement, the idea that ‘no news is good news’ does not hold true. If a project does not communicate for an extended period, it can lead to suspicion or confusion. By sharing weekly updates, you keep everyone informed about progress, which reassures them.

Make sure to highlight project milestones. Announce interim completions and celebrate achievements. This creates a positive atmosphere around the project. Plus, it is perfectly okay to be proud of the work being done!

5. Neglecting to respond to stakeholder feedback

You cannot always fulfil all the wishes of your stakeholders and community. Some requests may not be feasible or fit within the project’s scope. However, you must always let people know what you do with their input, even if you are unable to act on it.

Thank contributors and explain why their suggestions will or will not be used. This approach ensures everyone feels heard and more involved in the decision-making process. Avoiding confrontation or failing to say ‘no’ can create false expectations, which can lead to frustration and distrust.

5. Always share the results with the community

By sharing the survey findings with the respondents, you demonstrate that their feedback is valued and used. This fosters trust and transparency between the project team and the local community.

It also shows that the input is important and that concerns are taken seriously, which can encourage greater engagement from residents.

Sharing the results also provides an opportunity to take further action, address issues, or make improvements to the project.

6. Working in isolation without internal support

In some large projects, entire engagement teams are formed. However, in most projects, there is only one person responsible for communication. This can lead to the stakeholder engagement manager working in isolation. Often, engagement professionals find themselves distanced from the project, struggling to keep stakeholders informed and ensure commitments are met.

Make sure you are an integral part of the project team and attend regular meetings. This way, stakeholder and community engagement stays on the agenda. Even if your colleagues prefer to focus on the technical aspects, make clear agreements upfront to avoid this issue.

7. Underestimating the need for repetition

Sometimes it is assumed that once something is mentioned in a resident’s letter, everyone is informed. Keep in mind that this is often not the case. Not everyone reads, understands, and remembers all the information shared. Repeat your key messages in different ways and at different times through various channels. At the same time, avoid overloading a single letter or communication piece with too much information, as this can obscure the main message.

It might seem like you always have to walk on eggshells to avoid negative reactions from the community. However, in practice, it is not as daunting as it sounds. As long as you are approachable, take the community seriously, and keep them well-informed and involved, most people will be friendly and sometimes even enthusiastic.

Stakeholder and community engagement is a rewarding job. Enjoy it!