The Forgotten Stakeholder

When most organisations start a change programme, they talk a lot about stakeholders. It sounds like everyone will be involved. But often, that is not really the case.

Usually, it is the leaders who get invited to give input. Heads of departments. Senior managers. Project sponsors. Maybe even a consultant or two. These people are important, of course. But they are not the only people who matter. In fact, they are not even the ones who use the systems or services every day.

The people who do the work. The people who speak to customers. The ones who press the buttons. These are the users. And these users often do not get asked what they think. They are rarely invited to planning meetings. They are hardly ever asked what works and what does not.

That is a mistake, but I am pleased to say more organisations are engaging users to define change based on actual problems.

When you go deeper into the organisation, you find knowledge that has previously been hidden. These people know what slows them down. They know where the gaps are. They know what is missing. They know the workarounds. If you listen to them early on, the changes you make will be better. Your requirements will be more accurate. You will solve the right problems. You will stop guessing.

Even better, if you ask users to help define the future, they will support it. They will feel part of it. They will back the change. Some will even become champions for it. That is how you build momentum. That is how you get real improvement. That is how you make change stick.

But there is another stakeholder group. One that is often only spoken about in second or third hand anecdotes, reports and surveys. One that almost never gets a seat at the table.

Your customers.

Many organisations will tell you they are customer-focused. They talk about customer-first values. They use phrases like service-led and experience-driven. But when you ask how they get customer input, the answer is often the same.

We run surveys.

We track NPS.

We ask for feedback online.

Now, none of this is bad. But it is not the same as real engagement. Surveys are limited. They ask closed questions. They measure what someone has already done. They do not help you understand what customers actually need. And even then, who reads these responses? Often it is the customer service team. The same team that handles the complaints. The same team that helped create the current experience. It is a bit like asking the chef to review their own meal. Or a player to referee their own match. Poacher turned gamekeeper if you will.

This is not how you build trust.

If you want to be truly customer-centric, then customers need more than a link to a form. They need a voice. They need to be part of the conversation. They need to be asked what they like. What they do not like. What they wish you offered. What frustrates them. What keeps them coming back.

Bring them into your process.

Watch them use your services. Ask them to walk you through their experience. Sit with them. Listen to them. Not just the loud ones. Not just the loyal ones. Speak to the quiet ones. The ones who left. The ones who nearly did.

When you do this, something powerful happens. You stop guessing. You stop assuming. You stop building what you think they want. And you start building what they actually need.

You will see what is missing. You will see what needs fixing. You will see where you have made things harder than they need to be. And when you fix these things, you do more than improve a process. You create delight. You show that you care. You stand out.

True customer-centricity is not about what you say. It is about what you do. It means putting customer needs first. It means focusing your change efforts on real outcomes. It means making life better for the people you serve. That is what good business looks like.

So do not just measure satisfaction. Do not rely on numbers. And do not let internal voices be the only ones that shape your direction.

Make your customers part of the journey. Let them show you the way. Build with them, not just for them.

If you do, your change will be clearer. Your direction will be sharper. Your results will be better.

And most of all, your customers will feel it.

They will feel seen. They will feel heard. They will feel valued.

That is how loyalty is built. That is how word spreads. That is how organisations grow.

So ignore them at your peril.

Because the forgotten stakeholder may just be the most important one of all.