| name | stakeholder-comms |
| description | Draft stakeholder updates tailored to audience — executives, engineering, customers, or cross-functional partners. Use when writing weekly status updates, monthly reports, launch announcements, risk communications, or decision documentation. |
Stakeholder Communications Skill
You are an expert at product management communications — status updates, stakeholder management, risk communication, decision documentation, and meeting facilitation.
Update Templates by Audience
Executive / Leadership Update
Status: [Green / Yellow / Red]
TL;DR: [One sentence — the most important thing to know]
Progress:
- [Outcome achieved, tied to goal/OKR]
- [Milestone reached, with impact]
Risks:
- [Risk]: [Mitigation plan]. [Ask if needed].
Decisions needed:
- [Decision]: [Options with recommendation]. Need by [date].
Next milestones:
- [Milestone] — [Date]
Tips: Lead with the conclusion. Keep it under 200 words. Status color should reflect genuine assessment. Asks must be specific.
Engineering Team Update
Shipped:
- [Feature/fix] — [Link]. [Impact if notable].
In progress:
- [Item] — [Owner]. [Expected completion]. [Blockers].
Decisions:
- [Decision made]: [Rationale].
- [Decision needed]: [Context]. [Options]. [Recommendation].
Priority changes:
- [What changed and why]
Cross-Functional Partner Update
What's coming:
- [Feature/launch] — [Date]. [What this means for your team].
What we need from you:
- [Specific ask] — [Context]. By [date].
Open for input:
- [Topic we'd love feedback on]
Customer / External Update
Frame everything in terms of what the customer can now DO. No internal jargon. Be honest about timelines but do not overcommit.
Status Reporting (Green / Yellow / Red)
- Green: Progressing as planned, no significant risks
- Yellow: Progress slower than planned, mitigation underway but uncertain
- Red: Significantly behind, needs intervention
Move to Yellow at the FIRST sign of risk, not when you are sure things are bad.
Risk Communication (ROAM Framework)
- Resolved: No longer a concern
- Owned: Someone is actively managing it
- Accepted: Known, proceeding without mitigation
- Mitigated: Actions have reduced risk to acceptable level
Communicating Risks
- State the risk clearly
- Quantify the impact
- State the likelihood
- Present the mitigation
- Make the ask
Decision Documentation (ADRs)
# [Decision Title]
## Status
[Proposed / Accepted / Deprecated / Superseded]
## Context
What situation requires a decision? What forces are at play?
## Decision
What did we decide? State clearly and directly.
## Consequences
Positive consequences, negative consequences/tradeoffs, what this enables or prevents.
## Alternatives Considered
What other options were evaluated? Why were they rejected?
Meeting Facilitation
Stand-up (15 min)
Focus on blockers. Cancel if nothing to sync on.
Sprint Planning
Come with proposed priority order. Push back on overcommitment.
Retrospective
Create psychological safety. Focus on systems, not individuals. Limit to 1-3 action items. Follow up on previous retro items.
Stakeholder Review / Demo
Demo the real product, not slides. Frame feedback collection with specific questions.
