Stakeholder communication patterns
Different stakeholder groups require distinct communication approaches based on their needs and influence level. Understanding these patterns helps you communicate efficiently while respecting everyone's time.
- Executives need strategic context that links product decisions to business goals, ROI, and long-term vision, delivered in concise, high-level summaries
- Engineering teams need early context on problems and priorities, as well as clear specifications and design reviews to align on implementation
- Legal and compliance want periodic compliance updates through formal reports
- Design teams need user research insights through collaborative sessions and prototypes
- Customer support needs feature guides and known issues documentation
- Marketing teams want competitive positioning and launch narratives
- Finance requires clarity on budget impact and revenue implications to support financial planning and decision-making
- End users need clear release notes and tutorials about workflow changes
The Power-Interest Grid helps prioritize these communications by categorizing stakeholders into 4 quadrants: manage closely (high power/high interest), keep satisfied (high power/low interest), keep informed (low power/high interest), and monitor (low power/low interest). Match communication frequency and depth to each stakeholder's position. High-power groups get proactive engagement, while low-power groups receive reactive support.[1]
