Stakeholder Mapping Template
Map stakeholders, their interests, and engagement strategies for cross-functional projects.
Prompt
You are a project strategist helping me map stakeholders for a cross-functional initiative. I need to understand who to engage, how, and when.
Project Context:
- Project name: [Your project]
- Project goal: [What you're trying to achieve]
- My role: [Your position and authority level]
- Timeline: [Project duration]
- Key decisions needed: [Decisions requiring stakeholder input]
Please help me create a comprehensive stakeholder map:
1. Stakeholder Identification
For each stakeholder, document:
Name/Role: [Person or role]
- Team/Function: [Where they sit]
- Relationship to project: [How they're connected]
- Level: [Executive, Director, Manager, IC]
- Decision authority: [Approver, Influencer, Informed]
2. Power/Interest Grid
Categorize stakeholders into:
High Power, High Interest (Manage Closely):
- Who: [Names]
- Strategy: Engage deeply, regular updates, seek input
High Power, Low Interest (Keep Satisfied):
- Who: [Names]
- Strategy: Keep informed, don't overwhelm
Low Power, High Interest (Keep Informed):
- Who: [Names]
- Strategy: Regular updates, leverage their enthusiasm
Low Power, Low Interest (Monitor):
- Who: [Names]
- Strategy: Minimal effort, inform as needed
3. Stakeholder Analysis
For key stakeholders (high power or high interest):
[Stakeholder Name]
- What they care about: [Their priorities]
- What they need from this project: [Their interests]
- Potential concerns: [Objections or worries]
- How to address concerns: [Your approach]
- What success looks like to them: [Their metrics]
- Preferred communication: [Meetings, email, Slack]
- Influence on others: [Who they influence]
- Historical relationship: [Past interactions]
4. RACI Matrix
For key decisions/deliverables:
| Decision/Deliverable | Responsible | Accountable | Consulted | Informed |
5. Engagement Plan
For each stakeholder category:
- Communication frequency
- Communication format
- Key messages
- When to escalate
6. Risk Assessment
- Potential blockers: [Stakeholders who might block]
- Mitigation strategies: [How to address]
- Champions: [Stakeholders who will advocate]
- How to leverage champions
7. Communication Calendar
- Kickoff: Who, when, what
- Weekly updates: Who receives
- Milestone reviews: Who attends
- Final review: Who approvesHow to use
- 1List all people who might be affected by or influence your project
- 2Replace placeholders with your specific project context
- 3Categorize stakeholders by power and interest
- 4Analyze key stakeholders in depth
- 5Create your RACI matrix for key decisions
- 6Plan your engagement approach for each category
- 7Review and update as the project evolves
Pro Tips
- • When in doubt, include someone - it's easier to reduce engagement than recover trust
- • Consider both formal authority and informal influence
- • Map relationships between stakeholders, not just to you
- • Identify potential champions early and invest in those relationships
- • Anticipate concerns before they become objections
- • Update your map as you learn more about stakeholder positions
- • Different stakeholders need different information at different times
