Mapping stakeholders exposed untapped influence this business didn’t know it had.
Working with Distinct Group, a leading cleaning company, I supported them to map their stakeholders for the very first time. What started as a simple exercise quickly unlocked some powerful insights 👇
🔹 Not all staff experience work the same way
Distinct realised they have very different groups of people working in very different environments.
- Leadership and management teams based in the office
- Field-based cleaning operatives working across multiple sites
Each group needs to be engaged in different ways, using messages, channels and opportunities that reflect their day-to-day realities.
🔹 Clients aren’t one homogenous group
Their clients span luxury retail, charities and office-based service businesses. Each sector has different priorities, pressures and definitions of value – meaning engagement works best when conversations are tailored, not generic.
🔹 Industry collaboration was an untapped opportunity
There are plenty of industry networks out there, but Distinct weren’t yet actively involved in collective action. By sharing the strong social and environmental work they’re already doing, they can help raise standards across the sector, not just within their own organisation.
🔹 Unexpected influence with the general public
Because of where their field operatives work, from shops to offices to their Covent Garden HQ, Distinct interacts daily with shoppers, passers-by, drivers and potential future employees. This revealed a powerful opportunity to increase awareness of their positive social and environmental impact far beyond their immediate clients.
✨ The biggest takeaway?
Mapping stakeholders isn’t just a box-ticking exercise. Done properly, it changes how organisations see their people, their influence and their potential to create impact.
Is your business aware of the different stakeholders it influences and influences it?
If you’d like to talk about how you could shift to being a stakeholder focused business, contact Camilla Barnes of Better Business. Better World camilla@betterbusinessbetterworld.org
