Engaging Stakeholders for Successful Project Outcomes

Everyone talks about cross-functional collaboration. But, most senior leaders are incentivized to protect their territory. I've guided and worked on many transformation projects, and the change happens when you flip the script. Here's what actually works to turn territorial leaders into enthusiastic partners: 1. Speak the universal language of business outcomes A CTO I worked with, transformed resistance into momentum by starting here: "Our time-to-market is 3x industry average. What could we unlock by cutting that in half?" Suddenly, the CFO saw cost savings. Marketing saw competitive advantage. Sales saw bigger wins. 2. Translate value in their metrics. Your innovation might mean: - Revenue lift (Sales) - Efficiency gains (Operations) - Brand equity (Marketing) - Risk reduction (Legal) Connect your initiative to what they measure. 3. Build proof with micro-wins. Start small. A quick pilot. A 2-week experiment. Show them real results in their world, not PowerPoint promises. 🫀 Here's what happens: When stakeholders see their success metrics improving, turf wars dissolve into transformation stories. I've watched this work in Fortune 500s and startups alike. The key? Stop selling your project. Start amplifying their impact. 💡 What's your experience? Have you seen other approaches that turn skeptical stakeholders into strategic partners? ♻️ Share this with a leader who may benefit from this ➕ Follow Shirley Braun , Ph.D., PCC , for insights on leadership, scaling, and transformation that sticks.

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

Tactic 2 for influencing stakeholders from Jules Walter: Frame your message from their POV (not yours) It’s more effective to speak their language and demonstrate how your proposal will help them reach their goals, not yours. Stakeholders are focused on their own problems and are more receptive to proposals that address what’s already top of mind for them. A few years ago, when I was leading Monetization at Slack, we began to encounter diminishing returns in our product iterations, and we needed to take a bigger swing to re-ignite revenue growth. To do that, I spearheaded a controversial project to experiment with a new approach to free-to-paid conversion. The CEO, Stewart Butterfield, had strong reservations about the project. I knew from his previous statements that he didn’t want the company to be thinking about ways to extract value from users, but rather ways to create value for them. We had scheduled a review with the CEO and a few of his VPs to discuss the proposal. Since he was intensely user-driven, I framed the entire proposal around the benefits it would have for users (the CEO’s POV) rather than emphasizing the revenue impact of the project (our team’s goal). I started the meeting by anchoring the proposal on user-centric insights that we shared in a deck: - “About 10% of purchases of Slack’s paid version happen from users in their first day on Slack.” - “Paid users find more value and retain better. Yet we make it hard for people to discover that Slack has a paid version that’s more helpful.” - “How do we help new teams experience the full version of Slack from the start?” Once we framed the issue with this user-centric lens, the CEO was more open to our proposal and let us try a couple of experiments in this new direction. This user-centric framing also got the cross-functional team more excited and set an aspirational North Star with clear guardrails, which then enabled various teammates to contribute productively to the project. After we tested two iterations of our monetization experiment, we landed on a version that resulted in a significant increase in revenue for Slack (a 20% increase in teams paying for Slack) and we used what we learned to shift Slack’s monetization strategy into a new, more successful direction. Full set of tactics here: https://lnkd.in/gezP2EDw

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.

Most companies think stakeholder management is about getting buy-in. It's actually about changing predictions.   Years ago, I was helping a technology company with their organizational transformation. They had grown from a startup to several thousand people but were still operating like a startup. No real processes. No decision-making structures. Just running from one urgent need to another.   When I recommended new forms of governance, the resistance was immediate. And here's what made it complicated: each senior leader was resisting against a different, negative outcome as a result of the change.   For example, some believed that structure would slow them down and make them less nimble versus competitors. Others thought it would kill innovation. Some thought it would create bureaucracy by adding layers and layers of approvals to workflows. Many thought it meant they would lose the autonomy to run their business unit.   Here's what was really happening. Each person's brain was making different predictions based on their unique experience. These leaders could only predict problems because unstructured processes and systems were all they'd ever known. Their brains couldn't envision the benefits because they had no (or at least limited) experience with good structure.   Traditional stakeholder management would have grouped them as "senior leaders" and design one strategy for them all. But their concerns were entirely individual.   Changing predictions requires three things. First, understanding that each person's concerns are unique. No two brains make the same predictions. Second, getting people to try new approaches without perfect information. This takes direct, one-on-one conversations. Third, recognizing that predictions don't change overnight. It takes experience and repetition.   If the stakeholders in your company are resisting change understand that their brains are doing what brains do. They're predicting outcomes based on what they know.   The next time you build your stakeholder management approach remember it's not about treating everyone with the same title the same.   It's about engaging everyone, individually, where they are. Michael J Lopez Consulting #change #stakeholdermanagement

Effective client management begins with proactive engagement, anticipating needs and potential hurdles. Mastering the art of listening plays a crucial role in this approach, allowing us to gain deep insights into our clients' operations and strategic objectives. Imagine setting the stage at the beginning of a project by discussing with your client: Dependency Exploration: 'Can we discuss any dependencies your team has on this project’s milestones? Understanding these can help us ensure alignment and timely delivery.' Impact Assessment Question: 'Should unforeseen delays occur, what impacts would be most critical to your operations? This will help us prioritize our project management and contingency strategies.' Preventive Planning Query: 'What preemptive steps can we take together to minimize potential disruptions to critical milestones?' Success Criteria Definition: 'How do you define success for this project? Understanding your criteria for success will guide our efforts and help us focus on achieving the specific outcomes you expect.' These discussions are essential for building a roadmap that not only aligns with the client’s expectations but also prepares both sides for potential challenges, reinforcing trust through transparency and commitment. By adopting a listening approach that seeks comprehensive understanding from the onset, we can better manage projects and enhance client satisfaction. Let’s encourage our teams to integrate these listening strategies into their initial client engagements. How have proactive discussions influenced your project outcomes? Share your experiences and insights. #ClientRelationships #AdvancedListening #BusinessStrategy #ProfessionalGrowth

Before it was about getting donors to write checks. Now it’s about involving them in your ecosystem. Here’s 5 steps to get started today: You’re not just fundraising anymore. You’re onboarding stakeholders. If you want repeatable, compounding revenue from donors, partners, and decision-makers, you need to stop treating them like check-writers… …and start treating them like collaborators in a living system. Here’s how. 1. Diagnose your “center of gravity” Most orgs center fundraising around the mission. But the real gravitational pull for donors is their identity. → Ask yourself: What is the identity we help our funders step into? Examples: Systems Disruptor. Local Hero. Climate Investor. Opportunity Builder. Build messaging, experiences, and invites around that identity, not just impact stats. 2. Turn every program into a flywheel for new capital Stop separating “program delivery” from “fundraising.” Your programs are your best sales engine → Examples: • Invite donors to shadow frontline staff for one hour • Allow funders to sponsor a real-time decision and see the outcome • Let supporters “unlock” bonus services for beneficiaries through engagement, not just cash People fund what they help shape. 3. Use feedback as a funding mechanism Most orgs treat surveys as box-checking. But used right, feedback is fundraising foreplay. → Ask donors and partners to co-define what “success” looks like before you report back. Then build dashboards, stories, and events around their metrics. You didn’t just show impact. You made them part of the operating model. 4. Make your “thank you” do heavy lifting Thanking donors isn’t the end of a transaction. It’s the first trust test for future collaboration. → Instead of a generic “thank you,” send: • A 1-minute voice memo with a specific insight you gained from their gift • A sneak peek at a challenge you’re tackling and ask for their perspective • A micro-invite: “Can I get your eyes on something next week?” You’re not closing a loop. You’re opening a door. 5. Build a “Donor OS” (Operating System) Every funder should have a journey, not just a transaction history. → Track things like: • What insight made them first say “I’m in”? • Who do they influence (and who influences them)? • What kind of risk are they comfortable taking? • What internal narrative did your mission fulfill for them? Then tailor comms, invitations, and roles accordingly. Not everyone needs another newsletter but someone does want a seat at the strategy table. With purpose and impact, Mario

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.

McKinsey & Company lists no less than 28 internal and external stakeholders with whom CEO’s must engage. But only 12% of CEO’s describe themselves as successfully engaging the government and regulators, and only 25% of employees report being inspired by their leaders. McKinsey identifies four components that help build successful stakeholder engagement, with the acronym EDGE: - Expanded view of the CEO as the bridge to the outside: Corporate leaders are now expected to speak out on a range of issues; everything they say is scrutinized, and the line between internal and external communications has blurred. CEO’s need to connect their own leadership journeys with their companies' purpose, values, and direction for internal audiences, and then how they fit into the external, competitive landscape, perhaps taking inspiration from narratives outside their industry. - Distinctive narrative:  As Storyteller in Chief, the CEO creates a distinctive narrative that engages all stakeholders in the company’s vision and strategy and can be shared in multiple channels. The narrative should start with Who—the CEO's leadership journey, what inspires them, their vision for the company, and what connects them to the company’s mission. Then the Why’s—why the company exists and what it contributes to the world, and the goals that make up the why’s of the stakeholders. “Leading CEOs . . .recognize that storytelling at its best incorporates moments, experiences, or aspirations that are jointly shared.” Then comes the What—articulating the CEO’s agenda for the company simply and compellingly—and When—timelines and sequencing of concrete actions. CEO’s have to appeal to their stakeholders’ heads and hearts, especially during times of uncertainty or transformation; as Nissan CEO Makato Uchida says, “You have to make them want to do something great together.” - Growth-oriented mindset that empowers others to share the company’s vision: The best CEOs train a group of leaders to cascade the core narrative, personalized through their own experiences, enriching the narrative, and building communication as a capability in the organization. - Engaged in consistent, ongoing communication: Given the number of stakeholders, the CEO cannot personally engage with every one. McKinsey suggests prioritizing according to the CEO’s time availability, emotional energy, key management tasks, and strategic benefits of engaging with each stakeholder (infusing new thinking into strategy, risks of engagement/lack of engagement, institutional need for nurturing relationship, etc.). Consistent stakeholder communication is an opportunity for the CEO to articulate rationale for their strategic choices, comment on performance, and create forums for two-way exchanges and co-creating solutions. #communication #leadership #ceo #engagement #stakeholderengagement #storytelling #relationships

Project managers - make difficult stakeholders your greatest allies We've all encountered stakeholders we dread working with. You know the ones, they: → Challenge every decision → Question every timeline → Always escalate things At first, I saw them as obstacles. But over time, I've realized - Those difficult stakeholders have the potential to become your strongest allies. Here's how you make the shift: ☝ Start with empathy Flip the way you see them - from combative to passionate. Their pushback often comes because they're invested. Use that to understand and hear them, then leverage to collaborate. ✌ Be transparent and proactive Anticipate their questions. Provide updates/feedback before they ask. Transparency builds trust. 🤟 Highlight shared wins Make it a point to acknowledge their contributions. Show how their input led to better outcomes. Stakeholders that see THEIR impact will engage positively. Difficult stakeholders are inevitable on a project. Flip the narrative and make them your biggest supporters. They'll start backing you in meetings. Support you through tough decisions. And help you smooth out conflicts with other stakeholders. Your greatest allies often start as your toughest critics. Lean into it + build a trusted network = elevated PM + career 🤙