frank-luongt/plugins/faos-pm/skills/stakeholder-map

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name: stakeholder-map description: Map stakeholders on a Power x Interest grid and create tailored communication plans. Use when managing complex stakeholder environments, launching cross-functional initiatives, or joining a new organization. tags: [stakeholder-management, communication, planning, leadership]

Stakeholder Map

A Power x Interest grid for identifying, categorizing, and managing stakeholders — with tailored communication strategies for each quadrant.

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Purpose

Product initiatives fail more often from stakeholder misalignment than from bad engineering. This skill maps who cares, who has power, and what each person needs from you — preventing surprises, building support, and managing resistance proactively.

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When to Use

• Starting a new initiative that touches multiple teams
• Joining a new organization or product area
• Preparing for a high-stakes launch or migration
• When a project is stalled due to organizational friction
• Before presenting a PRD or strategy for approval

When NOT to Use

• Solo projects with no organizational dependencies
• When all stakeholders are already aligned (verify this assumption first)

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Required Context (Ask If Missing)

• Initiative description — what you're trying to accomplish
• Organization structure — teams, reporting lines, key roles
• Known stakeholders — people you already know are involved or affected
• Decision-making process — how decisions get made (RACI, consensus, executive decree?)

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The Process

Step 1: Identify All Stakeholders

List everyone who is:

• Impacted by the initiative (their work, metrics, or team changes)
• Has influence over the initiative (can approve, block, or fund)
• Has expertise needed for the initiative (technical, domain, market)
• Has interest in the outcome (even if not directly impacted)

Don't forget:

• Adjacent team leads
• Support and operations teams
• Finance / legal / compliance
• External partners or customers
• Executive sponsors

Step 2: Map on Power x Interest Grid

For each stakeholder, rate:

• Power (High/Low): Can they approve, block, fund, or influence the outcome?
• Interest (High/Low): Do they care about this initiative's outcome?

                    HIGH INTEREST
                         │
    ┌────────────────────┼────────────────────┐
    │                    │                    │
    │   Keep Satisfied   │   Manage Closely   │
    │                    │                    │
    │  Periodic updates  │  Regular 1:1s      │
    │  Escalate critical │  Involve in        │
    │  issues only       │  decisions         │
    │                    │                    │
HIGH├────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
POWER                    │
    │                    │                    │
    │   Monitor          │   Keep Informed    │
    │                    │                    │
    │  Light-touch       │  Status updates    │
    │  Watch for         │  Demo invitations  │
    │  changes           │  Feedback channel  │
    │                    │                    │
    └────────────────────┼────────────────────┘
                    LOW INTEREST

Step 3: Define Communication Strategy Per Quadrant

Manage Closely (High Power, High Interest)

These are your most important stakeholders. Mismanaging them kills projects.

• Frequency: Weekly or bi-weekly 1:1s
• Format: In-person or video meetings, personalized updates
• Content: Progress, decisions needed, risks, trade-offs
• Action: Involve in key decisions before they're finalized
• Risk if neglected: They feel blindsided, withdraw support, or actively block

Keep Satisfied (High Power, Low Interest)

They can make or break your project but don't want to be in the details.

• Frequency: Monthly or milestone-based updates
• Format: Brief email or Slack summary, executive briefing
• Content: High-level status, escalations only, outcomes not activities
• Action: Only escalate critical issues or decisions that need their authority
• Risk if neglected: They hear about problems from others and lose confidence

Keep Informed (Low Power, High Interest)

They care deeply but can't directly block you. Often your best advocates.

• Frequency: Regular status updates (weekly or sprint-based)
• Format: Team meetings, Slack channels, demo sessions
• Content: Progress updates, feature previews, opportunities for input
• Action: Give them a feedback channel, leverage as evangelists
• Risk if neglected: They feel ignored, become detractors, or spread misinformation

Monitor (Low Power, Low Interest)

Minimal investment needed — but watch for changes.

• Frequency: Quarterly or as-needed
• Format: Broad communications (newsletters, all-hands)
• Content: Major milestones only
• Action: Watch for shifts — interest or power can change
• Risk if neglected: Low, but can become noisy if surprised by changes that affect them

Step 4: Identify Risks and Conflicts

Flag stakeholders who:

• Have conflicting interests with each other
• Are resistant to the initiative (and why)
• Have recently changed roles (power/interest may shift)
• Are underrepresented in current communications

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Output Format

# Stakeholder Map — [Initiative Name]

**Date:** [date]
**PM:** [name]

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## Stakeholder Grid

### Manage Closely (High Power, High Interest)

| Stakeholder | Role | Interest Area | Communication Plan | Potential Risk |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [name] | [role] | [what they care about] | Weekly 1:1, involve in [decisions] | [risk if mismanaged] |

### Keep Satisfied (High Power, Low Interest)

| Stakeholder | Role | Interest Area | Communication Plan | Escalation Trigger |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [name] | [role] | [what they care about] | Monthly summary | [when to escalate] |

### Keep Informed (Low Power, High Interest)

| Stakeholder | Role | Interest Area | Communication Plan | Leverage |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [name] | [role] | [what they care about] | Sprint updates, demos | [how they can help] |

### Monitor (Low Power, Low Interest)

| Stakeholder | Role | Watch For |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [name] | [role] | [condition that would increase their interest/power] |

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## Conflicts and Risks

| Conflict | Stakeholders Involved | Mitigation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [conflict description] | [names] | [how to handle] |

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## Communication Calendar

| Cadence | Audience | Format | Owner |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | Manage Closely group | 1:1 meetings | PM |
| Bi-weekly | Keep Informed group | Sprint demo | PM + Eng Lead |
| Monthly | Keep Satisfied group | Email summary | PM |
| Quarterly | All stakeholders | Roadmap review | PM + Leadership |

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Anti-Patterns

| Avoid | Why | Instead | | --- | --- | --- | | Treating all stakeholders equally | Wastes time on low-impact people, under-invests in critical ones | Use the grid to prioritize | | Only mapping supporters | Resistors cause the most damage if ignored | Map everyone, especially skeptics | | Static map | People change roles, priorities shift | Review monthly | | Communicating the same way to everyone | Execs want summaries, ICs want details | Tailor format and depth | | Skipping the conflict analysis | Unaddressed conflicts escalate | Name conflicts, plan mitigation |

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References

• Mendelow, Aubrey. "Stakeholder Mapping" (1991)
• Mind the Product: Stakeholder Management

<!-- Source: .faos/custom/skills/business/stakeholder-map/SKILL.md -->