Best Practices For Stakeholder Relationship Management

A PM at Google asked me how I managed 30+ stakeholders. 'More meetings?' Wrong. Here's the RACI framework that cut my meeting load by 60% while increasing influence. 1/ 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙫𝙨 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 Most PMs drown because they invite everyone who's "interested." Instead, split your stakeholders into: - R: People doing the work - A: People accountable for success 2/ 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙥 Stop asking for approval from everyone. Create two clear buckets: - C: Must consult before decisions - I: Just keep informed of progress 3/ 𝘿𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 > 𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 For "Informed" stakeholders, switch to documented updates. They'll actually retain more than in another recurring meeting. 4/ 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙋𝙝𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙚 "𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲." Use this in every email. Watch the right people emerge. 5/ 𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 Build your approval flows around your R&A stakeholders only. Everyone else gets strategic updates. --- This isn't about excluding people. It's about respecting everyone's time while maintaining momentum. If you found this framework helpful for managing stakeholders: 1. Follow Alex Rechevskiy for more actionable frameworks on product leadership and time management 2. Bookmark and retweet to save these tactics and help other PMs streamline their stakeholder management

How to Extract Information from Stakeholders 🎯 Getting accurate information from stakeholders can make or break your financial planning process. Each stakeholder speaks a completely different language and focuses on totally different metrics. The secret? Knowing exactly what to ask and how to ask it. ➡️ CEO CONVERSATIONS CEOs think big picture, so focus on strategic direction and vision. You want company strategies for next quarter, budget allocation expectations, risk tolerance levels, and market positioning goals. The money question: "What are the top 3 strategic priorities that should drive our Q4 planning?" ➡️ HEAD OF SALES Sales leaders live and breathe pipeline projections and customer acquisition costs. Get those sales pipeline projections, customer acquisition costs, territory performance data, and resource requirements for targets. My go-to approach: "What's the realistic revenue projection for Q4, and what support do you need?" ➡️ MARKETING DIRECTOR Marketing lives for lead generation and brand metrics. You need campaign performance metrics, lead generation forecasts, brand awareness initiatives, and marketing budget requirements. Hit them with: "How many qualified leads can marketing deliver to support the sales targets?" ➡️ HR MANAGER HR thinks talent and workforce planning 24/7. Grab headcount projections, recruitment timelines, employee retention rates, and training and development needs. Start here: "What's our hiring timeline to support the growth plan, and any retention concerns?" ➡️ ENGINEERING LEAD Engineering leaders obsess over product development roadmaps. Collect that product development roadmap, technical debt priorities, infrastructure requirements, and team capacity information. The must-ask question: "What features can be delivered by Q4, and what technical investments are critical?" ➡️ ACCOUNTING MANAGER Accounting thinks financial health and compliance every single day. Get cash flow projections, budget variance analysis, financial compliance requirements, and cost optimization opportunities. The essential question: "What's our cash flow outlook, and are there any financial constraints for our growth plans?" ➡️ UNIVERSAL BEST PRACTICES These six practices work with EVERY stakeholder: Be Specific: Ask for concrete numbers, dates, and measurable outcomes rather than vague commitments. Respect Their Time: Come prepared with focused questions and provide context upfront. Speak Their Language: Use terminology and metrics relevant to their department and priorities. Validate Understanding: Repeat back key points to ensure alignment and avoid miscommunication. Follow Up: Send summaries of key decisions and next steps within 24 hours. Close the Loop: Show how their input directly influences decisions and outcomes. === What's your approach to stakeholder communication? Share your best practices in the comments below 👇

I was Wrong about Influence. Early in my career, I believed influence in a decision-making meeting was the direct outcome of a strong artifact presented and the ensuing discussion. However, with more leadership experience, I have come to realize that while these are important, there is something far more important at play. Influence, for a given decision, largely happens outside of and before decision-making meetings. Here's my 3 step approach you can follow to maximize your influence: (#3 is often missed yet most important) 1. Obsess over Knowing your Audience Why: Understanding your audience in-depth allows you to tailor your communication, approach and positioning. How: ↳ Research their backgrounds, how they think, what their goals are etc. ↳ Attend other meetings where they are present to learn about their priorities, how they think and what questions they ask. Take note of the topics that energize them or cause concern. ↳ Engage with others who frequently interact with them to gain additional insights. Ask about their preferences, hot buttons, and any subtle cues that could be useful in understanding their perspective. 2. Tailor your Communication Why: This ensures that your message is not just heard but also understood and valued. How: ↳ Seek inspiration from existing artifacts and pickup queues on terminologies, context and background on the give topic. ↳ Reflect on their goals and priorities, and integrate these elements into your communication. For instance, if they prioritize efficiency, highlight how your proposal enhances productivity. ↳Ask yourself "So what?" or "Why should they care" as a litmus test for relatability of your proposal. 3. Pre-socialize for support Why: It allows you to refine your approach, address potential objections, and build a coalition of support (ahead of and during the meeting). How: ↳ Schedule informal discussions or small group meetings with key stakeholders or their team members to discuss your idea(s). A casual coffee or a brief virtual call can be effective. Lead with curiosity vs. an intent to respond. ↳ Ask targeted questions to gather feedback and gauge reactions to your ideas. Examples: What are your initial thoughts on this draft proposal? What challenges do you foresee with this approach? How does this align with our current priorities? ↳ Acknowledge, incorporate and highlight the insights from these pre-meetings into the main meeting, treating them as an integral part of the decision-making process. What would you add? PS: BONUS - Following these steps also expands your understanding of the business and your internal network - both of which make you more effective. --- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

Ever presented rock-solid research only to hear "Thanks, but we're going with our gut on this one"? Securing stakeholder buy-in is rarely about the quality of your work. It's about something deeper. When you’re dealing with a research trust gap, ask yourself 5 questions. 👽 Are you speaking alien to earthlings? When you say jargon like "double diamond" or "information architecture," your stakeholders hear gibberish. Business leaders didn't learn UX in business school—and most never will. Translate everything into business outcomes they understand. Revenue growth. Customer retention. Cost savings. Competitive advantage.  Speak their native language, not yours. ⏰ What keeps them awake at 3am? Behind every skeptical question is a personal fear. That product manager who keeps shooting down your findings? They're terrified of missing their KPIs and losing their bonus. Have honest conversations about what they're personally on the hook for delivering. Then show how your research helps them achieve exactly that. ❓Are you treating assumptions as facts? You might think you know what questions matter to your stakeholders. You're probably wrong. Before starting research, explicitly ask: "What questions do you need answered to make this decision?" Then design your research to answer exactly those questions. ⚒️ Are you dying on the hill of methodological purity? Sometimes you have 8 hours for research instead of 8 weeks. Being dogmatic about "proper" research methods doesn’t always pay off. Focus on outcomes over process. If quick-and-dirty gets reliable insights that drive decisions, embrace it. 🍽️ Are you force-feeding them a seven-course meal when they wanted a snack? Executives need 30-second summaries. Product managers need actionable findings. Junior team members need hands-on learning. Tailor your approach to each one. You can also use my stakeholder persona mapping template here: https://bit.ly/43R7wom What’s the best advice you’ve heard about dealing with skeptical stakeholders?

How do you connect with your stakeholders when it comes to sustainability? Engaging effectively with key stakeholders can feel like a balancing act, but it’s essential if your business wants to drive meaningful sustainability outcomes. The secret? Speak their language and align with their priorities. Let me tell you a story. At Microsoft, before any meeting about sustainability, the team takes a step back and asks: What are the organizational priorities of the person or group we’re meeting with?  How can we align our sustainability goals with what they’re already working on? It’s a simple but powerful approach that ensures the conversation flows smoothly, and both sides walk away with a clear sense of how sustainability can fit into existing business goals. This approach is grounded in understanding what motivates each stakeholder. Whether they’re in finance, marketing, or operations, knowing their priorities helps you frame sustainability in a way that resonates with them. For instance, finance teams are often driven by numbers—so when you talk about sustainability, you could focus on how reducing carbon emissions can lead to cost savings or mitigate long-term financial risks. According to CDP, companies that address climate change could unlock $2.1 trillion in business opportunities over the next decade. But it’s not just about talking numbers. Engaging with stakeholders also means understanding the unique skills they bring to the table and how they’re incentivized. At Unilever, they’ve taken this to heart by integrating sustainability into the key performance indicators of every department, from supply chain to marketing. This way, sustainability becomes part of their everyday work, not just an add-on. Effective stakeholder engagement is about creating a win-win scenario. When you take the time to understand what your stakeholders care about and align your sustainability goals with their objectives, it’s much easier to find common ground and drive real progress. So, how are you planning to engage your stakeholders in your sustainability journey?

Here's the most dangerous thing you can do in creating partnerships: Rely on a single relationship to sustain it. Strong partnerships don’t rest on a single relationship. When you rely on just one champion within an organization, you’re putting all your eggs in one basket. Which is a bet you really shouldn't be taking in any business scenario. People change roles, priorities shift, and deals stall. You have to multi-thread your partnerships is essential for long-term success. Engaging multiple stakeholders, each with tailored messaging that resonates with their specific concerns and value drivers. Here’s a couple of ideas to implement multi-threading with your partners: - Start by mapping the organization. Who influences the decision? Who holds the budget? Who feels the day-to-day pain points your solution can address? In most cases, this includes operational leads (like case managers), decision-makers (like principals or executives), and budget owners (like administrators or CFOs). - Then you can tailor your messaging to their values: Operational Champions: Highlight how your solution reduces their workload and solves daily frustrations. Decision-Makers: Focus on measurable outcomes like compliance, improved metrics, or success rates. Budget Owners: Show clear ROI—how your solution saves money, reduces risk, or increases efficiency. Don't just have these conversations once, though. - Schedule regular check-ins and share updates that demonstrate progress or offer value. By staying visible across multiple touch-points, you build momentum and ensure your solution remains top of mind. Creating relationship with a single point of contact at your partner, and then stopping there is a recipe for disaster.

I've spent over 4,000 hours in stakeholder requirement-gathering meetings! Save hours of your life by asking these questions: 1. What do they plan to use the data for? 1. What initiative are they working on? 2. How will this initiative impact the business? 3. Is this for reporting or optimizing existing workflows? Understanding the purpose of the data helps you define its impact. 2. How do they plan to use the data? Will they access it via SQL, BI tools, APIs, or another method? 1. Do they have a workflow to pull data from your dataset? 2. Do they just do a `SELECT *` from your dataset? 3. Do they perform further computations on your dataset? This determines the schema, partitions, and data accessibility needs. 3. Is this data already present in another report/UI? 1. Is this data already available in another location? 2. Do they have parts of this data (e.g., a few required columns) elsewhere? Ensuring you're not recreating work saves time and avoids redundancy. 4. How frequently do they need this data? 1. How frequently does the data actually need to be refreshed? 2. Can it be monthly, weekly, daily, or hourly? 3. Is the upstream data changing fast enough to justify the required latency? Understanding frequency helps you determine the pipeline schedule. 5. What are the key metrics they monitor in this dataset? 1. Define variance checks for these metrics. 2. Do these metrics need to be 100% accurate (e.g., revenue) or directionally correct (e.g., impressions)? 3. How do these metrics tie into company-level KPIs? Memorize average values for these metrics; they’re invaluable during debugging and discussions. 6. What will each row in the dataset represent? 1. What should each row represent in the dataset? 2. Ensure one consistent grain per dataset, as applicable. 7. How much historical data will they need? 1. Does the stakeholder need data for the last few years? 2. Is the historical data available somewhere? Ask these questions upfront, and you'll save countless hours while delivering exactly what stakeholders need. - Like this post? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and follow me for more actionable insights on data engineering and system design. #data #dataengineering #datastakeholder

I can spot a doomed project in four sponsor moves. Want to know how? 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 #𝟭 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲: Sponsors who offload project communication to direct reports have disengaged. What starts as “Loop Sarah in on updates” becomes “Sarah will handle all project communication going forward.” Sounds great in theory, but Sarah’s not the one responsible for project success. Assure them that you’re only going to bring them issues that require their input - and bring Sarah in, she’s the gatekeeper now. 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 #𝟮 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹: If week-long delays in communication and “let me think about that” have become their go-to, your project has dropped in priority. Reframe your requests with consequences front and center, and offer options to help expedite their thinking. Your job isn’t JUST to elevate the risk, it’s to help them mitigate it. You don’t make the final call, but you need to inform it. 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 #𝟯 - 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿: Sponsors show up to status meetings, but treat them like a box to check, not a place to engage. Stop running status updates with your executives. Make meetings about current risks and decisions that require their input, ask about their current priorities and how the project connects and cancel meetings when there’s nothing that requires their input. 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 #𝟰 - 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆: Sponsors who approved 500k are suddenly questioning every expense? This isn’t fiscal stewardship, they’re questioning project value. Tie every expense to business outcomes. “This integration saves us 100k in manual costs” is more persuasive than “you signed off three months ago.” Then, figure out what’s killed their confidence and work with them to restore it. Strong PMs recognize these signs, and manage up to ensure sponsors are engaged, and the project has what it needs to go over the finish line. #projectmanagement #stakeholdermanagement #changemanagement ___________ If this resonated, let’s connect. I work with organizations to diagnose and fix the dynamics that kill projects and profitability.

If you are a new GC or aspire to be a GC, there are 3 key internal stakeholder relationships you must manage well. Each stakeholder has unique needs, expectations, and priorities. Understanding these differences and tailoring your approach accordingly is essential for building trust and influence.⁣ 𝟏. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐄𝐎: 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭⁣ ⁣𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐄𝐎⁣ ✅ 𝐁𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤. CEOs hate hearing “no.” Your job is to say, “Here’s how we can do this legally.” Instead of simply pointing out the risks, offer alternative solutions that achieve the desired business outcome while mitigating potential legal issues.⁣ ✅ 𝐁𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥. If your legal advice is too abstract, they’ll ignore it. Keep it short, actionable, and tied to business goals. Frame your advice in terms of business impact, quantifying the potential risks and rewards in financial terms.⁣ ⁣ ✅ 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: Take the time to understand the CEO's strategic goals and priorities. This will allow you to align your legal advice with their overall vision for the company.⁣ ✅ 𝐁𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭: The CEO needs to be able to trust you to provide candid and objective advice, even when it's not what they want to hear. Build a relationship based on honesty, integrity, and mutual respect.⁣ 𝟐. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐅𝐎: 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫⁣ ⁣𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐅𝐎⁣ ✅ 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞. Understand financial statements, earnings reports, and key metrics. Demonstrate an understanding of the company's financial performance and how legal decisions impact the bottom line.⁣ ✅ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐫, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫. Quantify the value of legal services by highlighting how they prevent costly litigation, protect intellectual property, and ensure regulatory compliance.⁣ ⁣ 3. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝: 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞⁣ ⁣𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝⁣ ✅ 𝐁𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝. Board members expect you to know everything. Do your homework, anticipate their questions, and be ready to provide clear and concise answers.⁣ ✅ 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞. No legal jargon. Use plain English and bottom-line recommendations. Avoid technical terms and focus on the key takeaways.⁣ ✅ 𝐁𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫. Build a relationship with the board based on trust, integrity, and mutual respect. Mastering these three relationships isn’t optional—it’s essential. As a General Counsel, your influence doesn’t come from your title alone. It comes from your ability to understand what each stakeholder needs, speak their language, and deliver solutions that serve the business. Get these relationships right, and you won’t just survive in the role—you’ll thrive as a strategic leader at the highest level.

You might as well be speaking “Klingon” Just dropped from a meeting where the IT Director provided his update to the leadership team. The c-level folks and non-technical leaders had no clue what he was talking about… From my experience this is the #1 mistake technical professionals make when meeting with business stakeholders I'll be blunt… business stakeholders don’t care about your technical architecture diagrams, your configuration details, or how cutting-edge your solution is. They care about outcomes. They care about results. They care about impact. BUT most technical professionals go into meetings armed with technical jargon & acronyms and leave the room wondering why no one bought in. If you’re presenting to business leaders, here’s the reality check… you are selling and you’re not selling technology - you’re selling business value. I don’t like to present a problem without a solution – so let’s try this… Step 1 Start every conversation by answering this “How does this solve a business problem?” If you have a technical solution that reduces costs, increases revenue, mitigates risk, or makes life easier for users, lead with that. Everything else is just details that nobody cares about. Step 2 Translate technical features into business benefits. Instead of saying, “We’re implementing zero trust,” say, “We’re reducing critical risks to our top revenue producing critical business functions.” Step 3 Stakeholders want to hear about how your solution will reduce downtime, increase productivity, save $$$, or improve client satisfaction. Make your impact measurable and relatable. Step 4 Can you reframe your message using an analogy or better yet a story. Numbers are great, but stories are sticky and resonate. Frame your solution in the context of a real-world scenario, like something stakeholders can visualize and connect with. Step 5 No one likes a squeaky wishy washy technical expert. Take a position, back it with evidence, and be clear about the path forward. Confidence inspires trust. Stop talking about the “how.” Start owning the “why.” And STOP speaking “Klingon” When you shift your focus to business value, you’ll see interest, buy-in, alignment, and support. #ciso #dpo #msp #leadership