How can you prioritize stakeholders with a matrix?

The dimensions can vary .. For change management initiatives, we have used the influence and impact - influence of stakeholder on the project and impact the project will have on the stakeholders. Interest (as mentioned above) was actually a third parameter with the AUSIC scale (Aware, Understand, Support, Involved, Committed) ... and here we also had the 'current versus targetted' levels marked. The size of the stakeholder group (small or large, in numbers if available) was also an important parameter.

Ultimately, it's about gaining an overview of where different people fall and how you can differentiate your approach in managing them, rather than using a one size fits all approach.

Stakeholder matrix is a powerful artifact that can be used across organizations. You can apply it to understand influence or ownership level for a product/service, to gather dependencies on decision making processes, among others. My advice is to provide the guidelines to every team member, so they can adopt it as a tool that support their daily-basis activities.

I agree to some extent with the statement "low power - high interest", I was involved in a project, the problem with this group of Stakeholder was that they wanted too much involvement, almost taking over writing and editing the stories. It's important to ensure that use case stories are written in a way that accurately represents the requirements and desired outcomes.

Ultimately, the delivery of benefits defines the success or failure of a project. In higher education fully funded projects, what matters is delivering the right piece of information to the right stakeholder at the right time. This is what determines your success as a Project Manager

This is critical because in as much as you want to maintain their support and stop potential issues from arising, you also need to strategically balance time spent on engagement across stakeholders.

You might also want to consider a RACI matrix as well - this indicates Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed and can better fit some communication plans

In my experience, the significance of a stakeholder matrix becomes even more pronounced when a project encounters roadblocks and requires swift issue resolution. Through the matrix, we can pinpoint the key individuals with the power and influence to drive progress and address challenges promptly.

You may also want to identify their sources of power. For example, are they great at influencing their peers and winning others over, do they have a strong voice which could help amplify your communications or help raise the profile of the project or are they great at building a case for additional resources. Different people will be able to add different value and understanding who you may want to draw on when at different times during the project can be very useful.

The key thing to do with your stakeholder map is to create a communication and stakeholder engagement plan. To do this effectively, figure out what topics your key (high power/ high interest) stakeholders are most interested in, how they want to be kept informed and what the best frequency is. It's also worth considering what your high power stakeholders have to offer. For example, if they are well connected and influential in the business, how can you leverage them to get more support from other stakeholders (EG high power / low interest) who might be critical for the success of your project but less engaged. It's also important to invest in your key stakeholders ahead of the curve.

It's not a one off activity as the level of inter est can change over time and people's roles change. As project manager it's important to revisit your stakeholder map and the communication plan on a regular basis. It's not enough to just do the exercise once, it's about following through and actively managing your stakeholders in the most effective way. Take time to invest in the most important relationships to ensure stakeholders show their full support when you need it most.

You may also want to consider where on the spectrum the stakeholders with high power / low interest fall. Are they just not interested or could they potentially be blockers who will make life difficult for the project team? For any blockers you identify, make sure you define a clear action plan on how to manage them or at least minimise the risk of the standing in the way. Think about partnering with other, more supportive stakeholders on this.

In fully funded educational projects, it is sometimes necessary, if the nature of the project allows, to provide updates on ongoing activities through social media platforms. These activities also facilitate the delivery of benefits.

Valuable insights shared here by others resonate with my experience as well. One somewhat uncomfortable aspect of our lives is all the no's one needs to say when prioritizing. It is a balance between art and science to appreciate the 'when' to 'what', and of course 'how' to say no. Avoiding abrasive, confrontational exchanges, but rather embarrassing the reasoning of the 'no' and establishing a space where others can receive your reluctance as a prioritization tactic and nothing else.