What do you do if your stakeholders in product development are not engaged?

RACI is a solid framework to use for managing stakeholders. Make a list of everyone who is connected with the project. Then put them into one of four buckets: R - Responsible, who is doing the work and do they know what they are doing and when it needs to be done by? A - Accountable, who is on the hook when things go wrong or doesn't happen in time? C - Consulted, who needs to be involved in any major decisions or resolving issues? I - Informed, who needs to be kept up to date of the high level progress? This might seem a bit complicated to start with but in reality you can build the list quickly. The list is then easy to maintain as the project progresses.

To streamline stakeholder identification, start by defining who they are and their connections to project features. Understand their roles, nature, and backgrounds to ensure seamless communication. By focusing on these aspects, the process becomes more efficient and ensures that the right resources are utilized effectively.

Active engagement with stakeholders is crucial for successful product development. By fostering open dialogue, aligning goals, providing updates, involving them in decision-making, and showcasing the value of their input, we can ensure a collaborative and effective development process. Utilizing diverse communication channels tailored to their preferences further enhances engagement and strengthens our partnership.

To engage stake holders we must have clearly defined road map ,which tells each about his rolls and responsibility with time line,we need to review the same for each and comply if any deviations or hurdles to achive the goals ,since NPD is require more focus and dedication ,team selection is also a crucial part apart from monitoring. If a person involved are interested it will make lots of differences.

If stakeholders in product development are not engaged, I initiate proactive communication to understand their concerns and motivations. I work to identify any barriers to engagement and address them collaboratively. Utilizing various communication channels, I strive to keep stakeholders informed, involved, and aligned with the product vision and goals. Additionally, I seek to create opportunities for meaningful participation and feedback to foster a sense of ownership and commitment to the product's success.

I was once told that it is impossible to overcommunicate! No matter how many times you say the same thing, somebody, somewhere will have missed it. The lesson from this is that is to give regular updates to everyone involved. You will need to decide the appropriate way to do this for your company and project. Every situation is different. Some folks love email. Some prefer instant messengers or Slack. The important thing is to keep the messaging consistent and regular. For the core team involved in the day-to-day, dive into all the details and nuances of the project. For those who just want to know if things are on track, stick to a few bullet points and a high-level summary.

Engage stakeholders from the outset of the project to ensure their perspectives are incorporated into the planning and decision-making process. This can help foster a sense of ownership and commitment. Keep stakeholders informed about the progress of the project through regular updates and status reports. This demonstrates transparency and keeps them engaged in the development process. Actively solicit feedback from stakeholders at key milestones and incorporate their input into the development process. This shows that their opinions are valued and can lead to more engaged participation.

Effective communication is not just about sharing information; it's about fostering understanding and collaboration. Utilize tools like project management software to streamline communication and provide transparency. Regular check-ins and feedback loops ensure alignment and minimize misunderstandings. Tailor your message to resonate with different stakeholders, highlighting how your product addresses their specific needs and concerns. Active listening is key; it helps build trust and cultivates a culture of openness and inclusivity within your team.

Establishing OKRs aligning to stakeholder goals will ensure measurability. Prepare a stakeholder meeting with a clear agenda, shared ahead of the meeting, so it could be reviewed. Ensure the agenda is aligned with the OKRs. When presenting to stakeholders, the one question that the presenter should ask himself or herself repeatedly, until the content is crisp, is, “so what?”. Why should the stakeholders holder care?.

Effective communication with stakeholders is indeed crucial for successful product development. Using a variety of formats and tools to share updates and gather feedback ensures that everyone is aligned and engaged throughout the process.

Involve the the stakeholders early and often is atmost important. The following can be practiced to ease it. - Start with end goal is mind and march towards the goal. - Perform frequennt one roof integrations (ORIT) at regular and constant interval to align to the goal - Always keep track of the business opportunity and its window. Remember the window is a passband and after the closure, the opportunity itself might not be there.

There's an important balance to find between involving and informing. For the core team who are responsible for delivering the day-to-day tasks they obviously need to be fully involved. For everyone outside of the core team, they need to be kept informed of progress. Generally speaking, trouble starts when those who are meant to be only informed start getting involved. This is a sign that they aren't confident the project is being managed effectively or they feel that they aren't being regularly kept up to date with progress. If this starts happening think about how you can improve or change your comms.

Early involvement of stakeholders fosters a sense of ownership and commitment to the project. Implementing methods like design thinking workshops or user story mapping sessions encourages collaboration and ensures diverse perspectives are considered. Regular demonstrations or prototype reviews keep stakeholders engaged and provide valuable insights for iteration. Acknowledging contributions and celebrating successes reinforces a positive culture and encourages continued involvement throughout the product lifecycle.

While establishing OKRs, obtaining an alignment through an approval and setting timelines against each of the objectives makes it real for the stakeholders. This will make them feel vested in the process.

Make sure each stakeholder understands their role in the project and what is expected. Clear roles help stakeholders feel more invested and accountable. It's important to have an alignment between your goals and objectives, that they are quantifiable and attainable, to avoid the team being discouraged.

One way to approach this is to start at the end. Before the project starts, go ask key stakeholders what success looks like from their perspective. If answers are shortcoming, ask them what they don't want to see happen instead! Some of the answers may be obvious. Some of them may be things that you never even considered. Collate all the answers into a laundry list of hopes and fears. Spot any recurring themes and prioritise them accordingly. If key stakeholders feel that you've got a good grasp of their expectations and what they are looking for in your reports, this will take a lot of pressure of you.

Managing expectations involves proactive communication and transparency. Utilize techniques like risk assessment workshops to identify potential challenges early on and develop mitigation strategies collaboratively. Clearly define project scope, timelines, and deliverables to align stakeholders' expectations with reality. Regular progress updates and status reports keep stakeholders informed and mitigate surprises. When changes occur, provide context and rationale to maintain trust and understanding. Additionally, actively solicit feedback to address concerns and adapt plans accordingly, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration.

Being transparent and honest about any known risks or challenges and discussing those upfront, will help set expectations for later in the process, when progress seems slow or stalled. It is also important to have a plan to mitigate the challenges or risks and share the mitigation plan as well. In some cases, we might need stakeholder involvement to bypass a certain risk, identify such opportunities and prepare them in advance!

One of the key factors that can lead to conflict is a mismatch of expectations. To avoid this, it is important to be transparent and upfront about both the potential opportunities and risks involved in any situation. It is essential to have open and clear communication from the beginning. This ensures that all parties involved are on the same page and have a shared understanding of the situation. By openly discussing potential challenges and risks, it is possible to build trust and avoid misunderstandings that can lead to conflict.

Understanding the point of resistance, in the context of the goals or OKRs, puts it into perspective and is key to know how to respond to it. Data taken from reliable source is always very powerful and using data to understand the contention or as evidence, will help arrive at a common ground.

Resolving resistance requires empathy and active listening. Conducting one-on-one meetings to understand concerns and perspectives can help build trust and rapport. Tailor your approach to address specific objections, highlighting the benefits and addressing any misconceptions. Engage influential stakeholders to advocate for the project and address resistance from within. Utilize change management strategies to facilitate acceptance and adoption, emphasizing the positive impact on stakeholders' goals and objectives. By fostering open dialogue and collaboration, you can transform resistance into opportunity and drive alignment towards shared goals.

Resistance is a humain behavior that should be managed with facts that rely on data and with a humain touch depending on the profile and background of each individual, more importantly explain the why is key to any change

Typically for large or complex projects, the 'management by exception' or 'the squeaky wheel gets oiled' rule applies. Thos means the focus is often directed at what is going wrong, not right. On the upside, if your project is on track and you're keeping people well informed you'll be left alone to get on with things. On the downside, the lack of any feedback can be demoralising and difficult to know if you need to change anything. Regardless of the situation you're in, its always worth trying to gauge the mood of the stakeholders at regular intervals and asking for their feedback. I feel this is best done one-on-one so you can get candid and critical feedback. Listen to what they say and make minor adjustments.

Implementing regular surveys or feedback sessions can provide valuable insights into stakeholder satisfaction and identify areas for improvement. Analyzing metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS) or Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) helps gauge stakeholder sentiment and measure the effectiveness of your engagement efforts. Additionally, leveraging tools like sentiment analysis or focus groups can uncover nuanced feedback and sentiment trends. Use this data to iterate on your communication strategies and tailor engagement initiatives to better meet stakeholders' needs and expectations. Continuous improvement fosters stronger relationships and ensures ongoing alignment with stakeholder priorities.

After identifying your stakeholders, you can know find the relevant KPIs that matter for them, so you can increase their engagement with a frequent update of each KPIs and measure this engagement by conducting surveys to gather feedback.

Build relationships not connections. It goes a long way. This way it establishes that we’re all on the same side and not two sides at a negotiation table with each trying to walk away with a better deal. Empathize with their blockers. Remember they’re also part of the same company and are aware of the goals to be met. Keep those goals your focus and understand what’s blocking the team from achieving them. Learn ways to make their lives simpler as well.

Engaging disinterested stakeholders often requires a multifaceted approach, and what works can vary greatly depending on the stakeholder's personality, the corporate culture, and the specifics of the project.

Stakeholders are 'sort of' of your first users/people who will plan the GTM strategy too. Them not being engaged for whatever reason means there is more room for improvement. This doesn't necessarily mean they are always right or that a healthy debate is not acceptable, it just means, put on the thinking hat, go back to the drawing boards and give a small benefit of doubt to them. If everything's alright, you have a stronger case / better possibility to engage them. If not, you have already made your product better.

I think one thing to also take note when communicating effectively to who are not engaging well is to meet with them one on one and discuss their constraints hindering them from engaging in the project. That way, the product manager or owner can look at ways to offer assistance. If this challenge persists, I think the project charter can be revised at sprint meetings so that everyone can be reminded about their roles.