Stuck in the Middle: Mastering Stakeholder Management

Product teams sit in the middle of business, user experience, and technology. Each area has different needs in order to reach their goals, and feels that their asks should be considered the most important. As a result, teams are often put in a difficult situation of balancing the needs of many stakeholders, all while moving their product forward for their customers. This talk will cover important points of stakeholder management, and common mistakes to avoid.

Transcript

1. Mastering Stakeholder Management Emily Tate @thedailyem Stuck in the Middle
2. @thedailyem
3. @thedailyem
4. “We humans are far more focused on threat than we are the potential of positive outcomes” Julia Whitney
 Whitney and Associates
 @thedailyem
5. Product Management = People Management @thedailyem
6. People Management = HARD @thedailyem
7. Who are your stakeholders? @thedailyem
8. Leadership Sales Team Marketing Team Development Team UX Team Legal, Security & Regulatory Some Dude on Twitter @thedailyem
9. Each Stakeholder Frames the World Through Their Own Bias @thedailyem
10. They Often Have Conflicting Views @thedailyem
11. We Have to Find the Balance @thedailyem
12. If your process is a product, your stakeholders are your users @thedailyem
13. 1. Identify Your Stakeholders But recognize they’re not all equal @thedailyem
14. 2. Interview Your Stakeholders @thedailyem
15. • Tell me what you know about this project. • What are your goals for this project? • What does success look like to you? • What are your biggest fears about this project? • How would you like to be kept updated? • What problems are you the right person to solve? Stakeholder Interviews @thedailyem
16. Synthesize notes from interviews and craft communication strategies @thedailyem
17. 3. Communicate Regularly @thedailyem
18. Core Team High-Touch Low-Touch • Goals Alignment • Contributor/user of tracking tools • Daily standup • Weekly retros • Regular ad hoc conversations • Goals Alignment • Access to tracking tools • Weekly update meeting • Weekly update email • Frequent ad hoc conversations • Goals Alignment • Weekly update email • Weekly email • Ad hoc conversations when they have questions Sample Communication Plan @thedailyem
19. Common Mistakes @thedailyem
20. Not Having Alignment on Goals @thedailyem
21. Every project needs clear, prioritized goals @thedailyem
22. Who: Core team, key stakeholders, naysayers When: At the beginning of any large effort, or when you sense misalignment How long: 1-2 hours Goals Alignment Workshop @thedailyem
23. Lack of Transparency @thedailyem
25. What is Actually Happening: Week 1: ✅ Week 2: ✅ Week 3: ✅ Week 4: ✅ Week 5: ✅ Week 6: ✅ Week 1: ✅ Week 2: ⚠ Week 3: ⁉ Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: My Scorecard Shows: @thedailyem
27. Transparency Builds Trust @thedailyem
28. Own the good, the bad, and the ugly. @thedailyem
29. Not Knowing What Battles to Pick @thedailyem
30. You don’t have to win every battle the first time @thedailyem
31. Not Handling Angry People @thedailyem
32. Step 1: Exit the Situation (if possible) @thedailyem
33. Use Your 5 Whys Why are they angry? We scheduled a meeting without telling them They had been designated primary contact When someone asked and they didn’t know, they looked like they weren’t doing their job It hurt their credibility @thedailyem
34. “Help me understand why this upset you.” @thedailyem
35. Once you understand the why, plan your next steps @thedailyem
36. Sometimes people are just jerks. Take care of yourself. @thedailyem
37. Falling Prey to the HiPPO @thedailyem
38. Fight the “Swoop and Poop” • Communicate early and often • Data-driven decisions • Own your product • Return to goals @thedailyem
39. Let’s Talk Politics @thedailyem
40. It’s not playing politics. It’s having empathy. @thedailyem
41. Building Great Products is a Team Sport @thedailyem
42. You Need Your Stakeholders on Your Side @thedailyem
43. Strong stakeholder management can be the difference between a good product manager and a great one. @thedailyem
44. Emily Tate Chief of Staff Mind the Product Twitter: @thedailyem LinkedIn: /thedailyem bit.ly/Engage2020