Mike Lyons walks through three stakeholder analysis methods using a voter registration system. The Power-Interest Grid maps stakeholders like election boards and IT staff by their power and interest level, which shapes how you communicate with each group. Stakeholder analysis isn't one-time work, it's ongoing.
I remember one time a stakeholder walked into my office, slammed his fist on the desk and demanded we change how voter signatures were displayed on the screen. He wanted them bigger, bolder, and side by side with the registration card signature. He was loud, aggressive, and completely convinced he had authority to make this happen. He didn't. This happens more often than you might think. Anyway, this is why we need solid stakeholder analysis. It helps us understand who really has the power to make decisions and and whose interests we just need to consider now. There are many ways to analyze stakeholders. The rainbow diagram classifies stakeholders based on how you expect them to affect or be affected by the project. The stakeholders closest to the middle of the rainbow are likely to experience the most impact and exert the most influence on your project, while those in the outer parts are likely to be less impacted and less influential. For example, in the voter registration system, the rainbow diagram would show election officials near the center since they had the most impact and influence. IT staff would be in the middle segment as they were crucial but had less direct impact, and the general public in the outer segments as they were affected but had less direct influence. Okay, another one. The onion diagram. This organizes stakeholders in concentric circles with objectives right there in the center. The next layer might include direct users and immediate decision makers, while the outer layer contains those less directly involved but still impacted by your product. In the voter registration system example, election workers were in the inner circles, while state auditors and the general public were in the outer layers. But the tool I found most useful is the Power Interest Grid. It's a straightforward, practical way to help you understand both who has authority and who cares most about your product. The Power Interest Grid splits stakeholders into four groups based on two simple how much power do they have and how interested are they in the product? Just make two lines that cross each other. The vertical line represents power. How much authority do they have? The horizontal line shows interest, how much they care. This creates four boxes. High power, high interest stakeholders go in the top right. These are your key players. Keep them close and fully engaged. High power, low interest folks, they go in the top left. These are often executives who need to stay informed but don't want daily updates. Low power, high interest people sit in the bottom right. They care deeply but can't really make big decisions. Keep them in the loop. They often have valuable insights. And then low power, low interest, well, that's the bottom left. They need basic updates, but not much more than that. Okay, let's go back to the signature display story. The angry stakeholder he was high interest but low power. The real decision makers, well that's the state election board and the Secretary of State. High power, high interest. These are stakeholders who needed to approve any changes to the system. County election officials were high interest but varied in power. Larger counties had more influence than smaller ones. And the general public had low power but high interest. They cared about voting, but they couldn't directly influence the system. Using the power interest grid helped us create the right communication plan. We set up monthly meetings with the state board, quarterly updates for county officials and public information sessions for voters. We also made sure to listen to that frustrated election officials concerns. Even though it couldn't demand immediate changes. His feedback helped us improve the system. His idea was actually pretty good for the signature verification process. The grid isn't just about categorizing people. It's about understanding how to work with different stakeholders effectively. And when you know where your stakeholders fit, you can better manage your expectations and keep them engaged at the right level. Think about task flow. Who are your stakeholders? Where would they fit on the power interest grid? More importantly, how might this understanding change the way you communicate with them? Oh, and one more thing. Understanding your stakeholders. It's not just a one time exercise. It's an ongoing process that evolves as your product grows and changes. The better you understand who has power and who has interest, the more effectively you can deliver value to everyone involved.
