How stakeholder maps, persona maps and network analysis work together

Over the past several years, communicators have taken a cue from marketing colleagues by segmenting employee personas to better understand their identities and behaviors and how and where they want to be reached. But is that the right place to start?

Starting with a stakeholder map before defining personas may be a better route. And once your personas are defined, conducting a network analysis can ensure the strategy has strong advocates.

Mapping internal stakeholders and personas means recognizing the diversity of backgrounds, personalities and interests in the workplace. Figuring out how best to approach them begins with an evaluation of the organization’s culture.

“Do you see it in a more structured and formal way, where you think about communications based on the different levels at the organization and want to create engagement throughout each level according to how roles and responsibilities are defined?” asks Katja Schroeder, founder of Expedition PR and professor at St. Francis College. “Or do you go through an approach where you see the organization as more of a social organism?”