Stakeholder Engagement and Analysis
4
Power/Interest Quadrants
Manage Closely, Keep Satisfied, Keep Informed, Monitor
5
Engagement Levels
Unaware, Resistant, Neutral, Supportive, Leading
3
Analysis Tools
Power/Interest grid, Salience, Stakeholder Cube
position each stakeholder, then pick an engagement strategy
Power × Interest
powerlow
power
keep satisfied
high power · low interest
manage closely
high power · high interest
monitor
low power · low interest
keep informed
low power · high interest
Exec Sponsor
Legal
End Users
Finance
Intern
Dev Lead
how to read this
- › Y axis is how much power the stakeholder has — can they kill the project or fund it?
- › X axisis how much they care. Some powerful people don't care; some low-power people care deeply.
- › Each dot is a real stakeholder. The quadrant they fall in tells you the engagement strategy, not whether to engage.
- › Manage Closely (top-right) gets weekly touch points. Keep Satisfied (top-left) gets executive summaries only. Keep Informed (bottom-right) gets detailed updates they actually read. Monitor (bottom-left) gets light-touch awareness.
- › Re-plot every major milestone. Stakeholders move — especially when the project affects something they suddenly care about.
Exam Traps
Ignoring a hostile stakeholder is never correct
PMI requires engagement with all stakeholders. The Power/Interest grid determines HOW you engage, not WHETHER you engage.
Not every stakeholder needs to reach Leading
Moving a Resistant stakeholder to Neutral is a valid and valuable goal. You do not need everyone cheering.
Salience adds legitimacy and urgency
The Salience Model goes beyond power and interest. A stakeholder with legitimacy and urgency but no power can still shape the project.
Engagement is continuous, not one-time
Stakeholder analysis is updated throughout the project. An early analysis does not stay accurate.
Engage everyone
Even resistant stakeholders. Especially resistant stakeholders. You cannot win them over by avoiding them.
Power is not permission
High power does not mean you can skip consulting other stakeholders. Power determines engagement style, not inclusion.
The VIP guest with high power and high interest. You check in before, during, and after. They shape the whole evening.
The powerful guest who does not care about dinner details. Give them what they need and do not bore them with trivia.
The enthusiastic cousin who has no real power but cares deeply. Send updates and invite their ideas — but not their veto.
The acquaintance who might show up. You do not plan around them but you stay aware in case they arrive.
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