Stakeholder management

Last updated Jun 5, 2023

Stakeholder management is the process of maintaining good relationships with the people who have the most influence on your work.

Project initialization

Get everyone involved as early as possible to set clear expectations, responsibilities, and boundaries. Identifying your stakeholders early on gives them ample time to voice any concerns they may have about the project or their role within it. If they feel a sense of ownership from the beginning, your stakeholders may be more likely to embrace their roles, give appropriate input, and help remove barriers to allow the project to move forward.

The project vision describes the need the project is fulfilling. It is important to have a clear, specific project vision because, as we have learned, stakeholders may apply pressure to increase the requirements, shorten the timeline, or cut resources. Ensuring that stakeholders have agreed upon the vision—and, more specifically, what “done” looks like ( Definition of done) provides clarity for everyone involved with the project. Including highly-influential stakeholders in the strategic planning processes will make sure that all team members are aligned with the project vision.

This could mean creating a one-pager (a one-page document that provides an overview of your project) or weekly status report with the latest information and links to the main project artifacts. It may also mean ensuring everyone has access to necessary documentation.

Project life cycle

Ask your stakeholders: What are your most important priorities and goals? What role would you like to play in this project? How will this project support you and your most important priorities?

Tell your stakeholders: Here’s how I plan to keep you informed—does that work for you?

Ask your stakeholders: Who else do you recommend I reach out to regarding this project?

Ask your stakeholders: How would you handle this situation? What solutions come to mind?