How to Build a Quick and Powerful Stakeholder Map

Stakeholders Management

Latest 'How to' focused on building a simple yet highly effective Stakeholder Map. We will also take a look at how you can use this style of Stakeholder Map to create an effective Stakeholder Engagement Strategy.

I prepared also a text summary of this video. You can find it below the embedded video

Stakeholder Map – The Three-Circle Framework

The three-circle framework is a stakeholder mapping tool that consists of three tiers of stakeholders.
The first tier is the core stakeholders, who are the top stakeholders and tend to be few in number.
The second tier is the direct stakeholders, who are still involved in the work but not to the extent of the core stakeholders.
The third tier is the indirect stakeholders, who are not directly involved but need to be informed.

Core Stakeholders

Core stakeholders are the top stakeholders who are involved in the working day-to-day.
They tend to be few in number and are usually the direct manager or sponsors of the project.
It’s recommended to keep the number of core stakeholders to a minimum.

Direct Stakeholders

Direct stakeholders are still involved in the work but not to the extent of core stakeholders.
They may have day-to-day involvement, but this is not their sole world.
An example here is a product marketing manager who is involved in other products and marketing initiatives but still collaborates with the team.

Indirect Stakeholders

Indirect stakeholders are not directly involved in the work but need to be informed.
They are on the periphery of the work and are updated every now and then.
It can be the founder or CPO.

Relationship Building with Stakeholders

Building a strong relationship with stakeholders is important.
Core stakeholders require a high frequency of building a relationship, while indirect stakeholders require low frequency.
High touch is the level of care and collaboration required when working with core stakeholders, while low touch is required for indirect stakeholders.
Stakeholders don’t need to be involved in every detail.
A summary email, video, or demo that is generic and not specifically tailored to them is enough.
The demo should be done at a lower frequency, such as once a month at the absolute maximum.

Adjusting Frequency and Touch Based on Stakeholder Map

Stakeholders who are far out in the indirect category of the Stakeholder Map should have a low frequency and low touch.
Stakeholders who sit more in the core and direct categories should have a high frequency and higher touch.
If stakeholders are not in the right frequency and touch, we might want to adjust them.
We might lower the frequency, change the touch, or do something like keeping them up to date in a monthly demo or email.
The people who are core and more direct are key stakeholders that we need to build and foster a stronger relationship.