Working with Stakeholders: Advice for All Product Roles

This post was originally published in my Substack Newsletter, Roadmap Weekly.

We all have stakeholders

As a Product Manager, working with stakeholders is an essential component of my job. Whether it’s managing expectations, building trust, gathering feedback or negotiating priorities, the ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders is key to the success of any product team. However, working with stakeholders is not just a challenge for Product Managers. It’s something that everyone experiences in their role, regardless of function or seniority. Here are some things to consider that may help you work more effectively with stakeholders regardless of your role.

If you’re a Product Designer, your stakeholders are your manager, engineers, the product owner and maybe even marketing. Engineers need to communicate effectively with their front end and back end team members, designers, and product manager. Depending on your organization, you could have other stakeholders as well.

Understand Your Stakeholders

The first step to effectively working with stakeholders is to understand who they are and what their priorities are. Take the time to map out your stakeholders and identify their concerns, goals, and motivations. This will help you tailor your communication and engagement approach to their needs. For example, if you know that a stakeholder is very concerned about cost, you can frame your communication around how your proposal will save money.

Be proactive

With any project, it’s crucial to know your stakeholder map (this doesn’t have to be a physical map, but can just be context you keep in mind). This will help you identify stakeholder concerns, goals, and motivations, and tailor your communications to meet their needs. By engaging your stakeholders early (being proactive) and more effectively, you build stronger relationships, and improve your chances of success. Proactive and early communication can help remove roadblocks and builds trust.

Communicate Regularly

Not just about anything, but the things that matter to those particular stakeholders. Use multiple channels depending on the stakeholder and what the updates are about. Difficult timeline and resource discussions should happen synchronously and in person, but status updates and support requests could happen asynchronously through Slack or other tools.

Listen and Be Open (empathize)

Stakeholders need to feel heard and valued. Listen actively to their concerns and be open to feedback. Even if you don’t agree with what they’re saying, take the time to understand their perspective. This will help you build trust and credibility with your stakeholders. Remember, stakeholders are often subject matter experts in their areas, so their input can be incredibly valuable.

Be Transparent (set clear expectations)

Transparency is key to building trust with stakeholders. Be upfront about what you can and can’t deliver, and make sure you communicate any changes or updates as soon as possible. This helps stakeholders manage their expectations and feel more in control of the process. Additionally, if you can’t deliver on a particular request, be clear about why and offer alternatives if possible.

Build Relationships

Building strong relationships with stakeholders can help you navigate difficult situations and achieve better outcomes. Take the time to get to know your stakeholders and understand their communication preferences. Invest in building rapport with them, whether it’s through regular check-ins, informal conversations or shared interests.

Be Flexible

Stakeholder needs and priorities can change rapidly, so it’s important to be flexible and adaptable. Be open to new ideas and be willing to pivot your approach if necessary. This will help you build credibility with your stakeholders and show that you’re responsive to their needs.

Conclusion

Working with stakeholders can be challenging, but it’s an essential part of achieving a higher level of engagement and success in any role. By understanding your stakeholders, listening actively, being transparent, building relationships, and being flexible, you can build trust and credibility and achieve better outcomes. These tips are applicable to anyone in any role, and can help you build stronger relationships and achieve success in your job.

This post was originally published in my Substack Newsletter, Roadmap Weekly.