Aracruz Cellulose Simulaton

My heterogeneous group actually worked together quite respectfully. It was interesting to learn from the questions that we asked each other that no one had a complete picture of what was going on. The company representative was just trying to get to a solution that wouldn't change again. The NGO was truly interested in working with everyone to get to a solution that would allow everyone to move forward. The indigenous people present couldn't actually speak for all indigenous people. This was a problem where it was impossible to know who all the participants were, or get them all at the table, because not everyone who was causing a problem was necessarily a stakeholder.

The fact that everyone was respectful of the other team members, everyone listened, asked clarifying questions, and for the most part, didn't interrupt meant that we had a very productive conversation. We stayed on track and did a good job of documenting our consensus.

I don't think there were really any areas where we were ineffective. We came up with a plan that we thought might be effective, including a communication plan to try to address the issue of non-stakeholder disruptions.

I had trouble believing in the cause of the indigenous people I was representing. Based on the evaluation scores I received, I was able to communicate their values and goals effectively, but maybe if I had spent more time researching their plight than I did, I might have brought more empathy to their issues.

The stakeholder dialog process can be applied to almost any issue that involves multiple participants with differing views and needs. It gets applied at the kitchen table with my husband and our kids while discussing how to run our household. In the case of certain chores, the people who do them have determined who will do them, when they switch off, who is responsible for tracking the schedule and how they cover absences. The parents were only responsible for establishing what needed to be done and the quality expected.

This process is also applied in work teams and projects when we figure out who needs to be involved, who has a stake in the process and will be affected and needs to be included. The best way to make good decisions that people will feel they are part of and help you carry out is to use this stakeholder process.