How to Turn Stakeholders from Obstacles into Advocates

You just got assigned a new project. Your first instinct? Dive into the technical requirements.

Wrong move. 🚫

Your first step should be mapping your stakeholders—not just who they are, but what makes them tick.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀

Beyond the obvious project sponsor, look for:

→ The person whose data you’ll need

→ The scientist who’ll actually use what you build

→ The team lead who controls resources

→ The domain expert who can make or break adoption

→ The person who’ll maintain this after you move on

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺

Each stakeholder has different motivations:

🤝 The Collaborator: wants shared wins and team recognition.

🎯 The Individualist: wants personal impact and clear attribution.

🧩 The Problem-Solver: wants intellectual challenge.

📊 The Results-Oriented person: wants measurable outcomes and clear timelines.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗽

Here’s where you build the bridges: connect project components to stakeholder strengths and motivations.

Data validation → Problem-solver designs checks

User interfaces → Collaborator gathers feedback

Leadership buy-in → Results person frames metrics

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱

Make every interaction help stakeholders succeed in their roles.

Expert prevents pitfall? Recognize their insight.

Owner provides clean data? Highlight their contribution.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁:

Stakeholder management is alignment, not manipulation.

When they feel ownership, they become advocates instead of obstacles. ✨

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲:

Instead of: “I need access to the production database.”

Try: “I’d love your input on the safest way to access the data we need. What would make you comfortable with our approach?”

Instead of: “The analysis is taking longer than expected.”

Try: “We discovered some interesting data quality patterns that might impact future projects. Can we schedule time to discuss what we learned?”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲:

Technical skills get you the job. Stakeholder management skills make you effective in the job. Your project’s success depends more on people dynamics than code quality. Plan accordingly. 🎯

What’s your experience with stakeholder management? What strategies have worked (or failed) for you?