When businesses work with the communities around them, both sides benefit. Good relationships with community stakeholders, such as neighborhoods and community development groups, can improve businesses’ decision-making, legitimacy and competitiveness.
This practical, hands-on guide takes business owners and managers through the steps necessary to engage effectively with community stakeholders. With useful information and a series of exercises, the guide addresses four critical steps:
- Getting to know the community
- Choosing the engagement strategy
- Planning the engagement process
- Making community engagement permanent
These actions will let firms understand and respond to the community, with benefits for reputation, operations and even strategy.