Understand
Stakeholder map
Also called Power and interest grid
Place everyone affected by a project by how much power they have over it and how much they care, then plan how to work with each.
- Time30 to 45 minutes
- People2 to 8 people
- Steps3
What it's for
Use it at the start of a project or before a change people might resist. Listing stakeholders is easy. Placing them on two axes forces the harder conversation: who can stop this, and who will be most affected by it?
Each quadrant suggests a different way of working with the people in it, from close partnership to keeping them informed.
How to run it
List the stakeholders8 min
One note per person or group affected by the work, anywhere on the board.
Place them15 min
Move each note to the quadrant that fits its power and interest. Discuss the disagreements.
Plan the approach15 min
For the top-right quadrant first, note how and how often you'll involve each one.
Tips
- Name people, not departments, where you can. A department doesn't return your call.
- Revisit the map as the project moves. Interest rises when something starts to affect people.
Where it comes from
The power and interest grid is usually credited to Aubrey Mendelow, who presented stakeholder mapping in 1991. It was later popularised in strategy teaching by Gerry Johnson and Kevan Scholes.
Pairs well with
RACI chart
For each task or decision, agree who is responsible, who is accountable, who is consulted and who is informed.
Empathy map
A shared picture of one type of person: what they say, think, do and feel, built from research rather than guesses.
Who, what, when
Close a session by writing each action with one owner and a date, so decisions turn into work instead of good intentions.