Who defines who is a 'stakeholder'?

It is quite usual for a consultation of some sort to be carried out before official action is taken, especially in areas of social policy and the like.

This consultation is likely to be with those who are regarded as ‘stakeholders’.

But how is this role, entitling the people so labelled to be consulted, defined? And by whom? Do they usually get it right?

Top or bottom? Where do you start?

What’s the ‘best’ way to take a good idea forward?

Where do you pitch it first, the top or the bottom of the organisation? And who, for different sorts of ideas, must you persuade?