At the start of any sizable project, the risk of overlooking an important stakeholder is high. The scenario is so common that Change Leaders should assume that someone was excluded. To mitigate this risk, your projects need an Awareness Blast within the Awareness step of ADKAR.

An Awareness Blast is not long or complicated. It’s an email sent to all stakeholders that aims to:

• notify stakeholders that the initiative has started

• tell the recipients that they are considered to be a stakeholder

• ask stakeholders to verify that they are an interested party

• ask stakeholders to identify possible additional stakeholders

It’s great to have the project stop overcommunicating as soon as possible. It’s great to have the project stop under-communicating as soon as possible. The Awareness Blast helps to achieve both.

Timing of the Awareness Blast should coincide with the Project Charter, but the content and tone are very different. The Project Charter has a serious tone. It is structured and exhaustive. The Awareness Blast has an inspiring or playful tone; it is inviting and celebratory. The Awareness Blast aims to build support and enthusiasm for the change.

Signs that the Awareness Blast did its job:

• Obtain corrections to the stakeholder list

• Generate questions about the project

• Increase engagement with the Project Charter

• Responses result in changes to the Project Charter, resource assignments in the Project Plan, and the BRIQ Log

… and of course, eliminate the possibility that any stakeholders say that they were excluded!

Upstream Assets: Current State Specs, Project Charter, Program Increment Objectives

Downstream Assets: Process (Future State) Assets, Elevator Pitch