| name | Stakeholder Management |
| description | Map stakeholder influence, plan communication strategies, manage expectations, and handle resistance across complex organizations. |
Purpose
Navigate the human side of projects. Identify who has power, who has interest, what they care about, and how to move them toward support. This skill is about influence without authority.
Steps
- List all stakeholders affected by or able to influence the project
- Map each stakeholder on the Power-Interest Grid:
- High Power + High Interest: Manage Closely (frequent, detailed engagement)
- High Power + Low Interest: Keep Satisfied (periodic updates, escalate issues)
- Low Power + High Interest: Keep Informed (regular newsletters, dashboards)
- Low Power + Low Interest: Monitor (minimal effort)
- For each "Manage Closely" stakeholder, build a profile:
- Name, role, decision authority
- Current position: supporter, neutral, or opponent
- Key concerns and motivators
- Communication preference (email, 1:1 meeting, Teams message)
- Strategy to move them toward the desired position
- Create a RACI matrix for key decisions (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed)
- Draft a stakeholder communication plan:
- Who gets what information, how often, via what channel
- Create a Word document with the stakeholder map, profiles, RACI, and communication plan
- Send targeted communications to each stakeholder group via Outlook
Stakeholder Communication Cadence
| Stakeholder Type | Frequency | Medium |
|---|
| Executive sponsor | Weekly | 1:1 email or brief meeting |
| Manage closely | 2x/week | Direct meetings or Teams chat |
| Keep satisfied | Bi-weekly | Email summaries |
| Keep informed | Monthly | Newsletters or dashboards |
Influence Strategies
| Strategy | When to Use |
|---|
| Reciprocity | Building long-term allies: help first, bank goodwill |
| Coalition | Facing resistance: build a network of supporters first |
| Evidence | Skeptical stakeholders: data, pilots, proof points |
| Authority | Need borrowed credibility: executive sponsor or expert endorsement |
| Social proof | Risk-averse stakeholders: industry examples, peer adoption |
Moving Stakeholders
Progress stakeholders along the ladder:
Opponent > Skeptic > Neutral > Supporter > Champion
| Resistance Type | Root Cause | Counter |
|---|
| Fear of unknown | Uncertainty | Education, pilots, demos |
| Loss of power | Territory threat | Involvement, shared credit |
| Resource concern | Budget/time | Clear scope, trade-offs |
| Not invented here | Pride | Co-creation, acknowledgment |
Output Format
- Word document: stakeholder map, profiles, RACI, communication plan
- Outlook emails: tailored communications per stakeholder group
- Calendar events: recurring check-ins with "manage closely" stakeholders
Guidelines
- Never skip the mapping step; assumptions about stakeholder positions are frequently wrong
- One accountable person per decision (never two A's in RACI)
- Tailor the message to each stakeholder's concerns, not one-size-fits-all
- Document commitments and follow up on them
- Re-assess the stakeholder map monthly; positions shift
