Dealing with multiple people and losing track of who you’ve reached out to for what can be a daunting task to remember. It’s only when you feel the pinch of it that you really look out for a solution that will simplify the whole process. Because honestly, pulling out a sheet and listing names and designations is not a viable solution especially when there are multiple projects and targets to juggle. 

You don’t have to start color-coding your Excel sheets either. A stakeholder mapping temple is the holy grail you need in this situation. It makes things even more efficient especially when you have to collaborate with teams remotely. Thankfully there are plenty of tools out there that can help you do this. All you need is to figure out which tool works best for your organisation. We’ve made a handy list on that too! 

A stakeholder mapping template is a visual tool that you will use to define the relationship between various key stakeholders and/or the relationship between the stakeholders and the project. It could be a chart, a grid or a simple flow. You can choose templates based on the nature of your project to easily visually represent the whole list of stakeholders, including sponsors, the project team, contractors, project managers, and end-users of the product or service being delivered. This allows for equal access to information for all involved in the project, ensuring transparency and addressing any potential conflicts of interest from those with vested interests through effective stakeholder management. The stakeholder mapping template also helps identify the levels of influence and interest of each stakeholder, allowing for a more streamlined approach in managing their involvement.

Why is stakeholder mapping important?

Identifying key partners and their influence on the project can help create clear communication lines. It will set expectations as to who has to be involved in various process timelines and how can they contribute. Furthermore, a stakeholder map also helps you identify possible areas of conflict or misunderstanding that can be avoided right at the beginning so they don’t manifest as bigger problems at a later stage. Additionally, a stakeholder map is important because it helps identify and involve all relevant stakeholders, including project stakeholders and key players responsible for decision-making, in the project and ensures a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. This exercise should be done regularly to account for any changes and updates in the project.

Three prominent ways of grouping your stakeholders

Based on the relationship to the project

This group determines how much influence a set of people has on the outcome of the project or the product. They can be further categorized as primary, secondary, and tertiary stakeholders. Of these, primary stakeholders are of utmost priority as they have a direct impact on the project. One example could be customers.  

Based on power and legitimacy

Definitive stakeholders have both power and legitimacy and require active engagement. Dominant stakeholders have power and legitimacy but may not be urgent, while dependent stakeholders lack power but have legitimate and urgent claims. Dormant stakeholders have power but lack urgency and legitimacy.

Based on their role

This categorization differentiates between those within the organization (internal stakeholders) and those outside of it (external stakeholders). Internal stakeholders are involved in day-to-day operations, while external stakeholders, such as customers or regulators, have an interest but are not part of the organization. 

Ok, now that you have your groups listed and remember, you can also further bifurcate your stakeholder grouping based on impact, support or geographical location. The first step is to identify all of your potential stakeholders and then have a picture on how these stakeholders are related to each other with respect to the project. And this is where we ideally start charting out the stakeholder map on a whiteboard or shared space.

Are there different types of stakeholder mapping templates available?

Yes, there are various stakeholder mapping templates available. Some common types include the power-interest grid, influence-impact grid, and salience model template. Choosing the right template depends on the project’s objectives and the level of stakeholder engagement needed for successful implementation.

1.The Salience Model

The Salience Model is all about figuring out which stakeholders are most important for your project. It helps you prioritize based on three key factors: power, legitimacy, and urgency. Let’s break down what each type of stakeholder means:

• Definitive Stakeholders: These are your top priority. They have a lot of power, their involvement is legitimate, and they need things done urgently. Think of your project sponsor or a key client who needs results now.
• Dominant Stakeholders: These folks also have significant power and a legitimate role in your project, but they’re not in a hurry. They might be senior executives who support your project but don’t need daily updates.
• Dependent Stakeholders: These stakeholders have a legitimate interest in your project and need things done urgently, but they lack the power to influence decisions directly. They might be end-users who need the project to succeed but can’t make big decisions themselves.
• Dangerous Stakeholders: Watch out for these! They have a lot of power and want things done quickly, but their legitimacy is questionable. They could be influential critics who might derail your project if their concerns aren’t addressed.
• Dormant Stakeholders: These people have the power to impact your project but aren’t currently active or interested. They might be high-level managers who aren’t involved unless something goes wrong.
• Discretionary Stakeholders: They have a legitimate interest in your project but neither the power nor the urgency to act. These could be community members who support your project but don’t have the influence to change its course.
• Demanding Stakeholders: These stakeholders need something urgently but don’t have power or legitimacy. They might be vocal customers who want immediate improvements but don’t have much sway.

2.Stakeholder Knowledge Base Chart

The Stakeholder Knowledge Base Chart, from the Gower Handbook of Project Management, is a handy tool for understanding where your stakeholders stand in terms of their knowledge about your project and their attitude towards it. Imagine dividing them into four groups based on these two factors:

1. Aware / Opposition: These stakeholders know a lot about your project but aren’t on your side. They could be a risk, so it’s crucial to manage them carefully. Think of them as informed critics who might need more attention and strategy to win over.
2. Aware / Support: These are your allies who are well-informed about the project. They support you, so keep them in the loop and encourage their continued advocacy. They’re like your project champions who can help spread positive vibes.
3. Ignorant / Opposition: These stakeholders don’t know much about your project and are not supportive. Educating them might help change their attitude. Consider them as skeptics who could become supporters with the right information.
4. Ignorant / Support: These people support your project but don’t know much about it. Engaging with them and increasing their understanding will strengthen their support. They’re your cheerleaders who could be even more effective with better knowledge.

Using this chart helps you tailor your communication and engagement strategies to fit different stakeholder groups. However, it’s important to remember that this approach has its limitations and might not cover every nuance of stakeholder dynamics. Keep this in mind as you work to engage with your project’s stakeholders effectively.

3.Power/ Interest Grid

The Power/Interest Grid is a practical tool for mapping out your stakeholders based on how much power they have and how interested they are in your project. You can place each stakeholder into one of four quadrants, and each quadrant requires a different approach:

1. High Power / High Interest: These are the VIPs of your project. They have a lot of influence and care deeply about the project. You need to manage them closely, engage with them regularly, and make sure their expectations are met. Think of them as your key sponsors or critical team members who you should keep in the loop at all times.
2. High Power / Low Interest: These stakeholders can influence your project significantly, but they’re not particularly interested in the day-to-day details. Your goal here is to meet their needs and keep them satisfied without overwhelming them with information. They might be senior executives who need to be consulted on major decisions but don’t want to be involved in every detail.
3. Low Power / Low Interest: These folks have minimal influence and aren’t very interested in your project. You don’t need to engage with them frequently. Just monitor their status and provide information as needed. They might be peripheral team members or departments with little stake in the project outcomes.
4. Low Power / High Interest: These stakeholders are keenly interested in your project but don’t have much influence over its direction. Keep them informed and maintain their level of interest by sharing updates and involving them in areas where they can contribute. They could be users or support staff who are passionate about the project’s success.

By using the Power/Interest Grid, you can easily classify your stakeholders and tailor your engagement strategies accordingly. This helps ensure that you’re focusing your efforts where they matter most and addressing stakeholder interest. However, like any model, it has its limitations and might not capture all the complexities of stakeholder relationships. So, use it as a guide but be ready to adapt as needed.

Understanding how it’s done with DemandFarm

DemandFarm has a comprehensive stakeholder remapping tool that helps customers drill lengths and breadths of their stakeholders’ list and come up with the most simple and easy-to-understand visual representation of the information. Here’s how DemandFarm can do this.

Org Chart with Relationship Owners

This chart captures the organizational hierarchy and the relationships between internal and external stakeholders. It shows who is responsible for managing each stakeholder relationship.

How It Helps: It provides a clear visual representation of the power structure and relationship dynamics within the account. This helps in identifying key influencers and decision-makers, ensuring accountability and tracking of tasks and activities to build long-term, meaningful relationships.

Communication Matrix

The Communication Matrix details the frequency and quality of engagements between your team and the stakeholders in the key account. It tracks interactions at various levels within the client’s organization.

How It Helps: By visualizing engagement patterns, this chart helps ensure that communication is occurring at the right levels and with the right frequency. It eliminates communication silos and provides insights into whether stakeholders are being adequately engaged, which is crucial for maintaining strong relationships and avoiding deal slippage.

Influence Maps

Influence Maps visualize the internal political alignment among various stakeholders within the key account. It highlights who can positively or negatively influence whom and the extent of their influence.

How It Helps: These maps help in understanding the internal power dynamics and alliances within the client’s organization. By identifying key supporters and potential detractors, account managers can strategically plan their engagements to leverage influential stakeholders and mitigate risks, thereby facilitating smoother decision-making processes.

Identifying roles, interests and influence of different stakeholders can truly ease out the complexities in managing different people involved in a project. It can also forge stronger relationships for smooth communication. Some key takeaways will be: 

• Use multiple methods for various projects and combine models to give you a more comprehensive and better view.
• Revisit your maps regularly to refer to different stages of the project. This keeps everyone aligned.
• Use your maps to communicate effectively with your team and stakeholders. Get your team involved in the mapping process. 
• ​​Regular updates ensure your maps reflect current realities. Plus, gathering input from stakeholders as the project progresses can provide more accurate insights.