Strategies For Effective Cross-Functional Stakeholder Communication

A PM at Google asked me how I managed 30+ stakeholders. 'More meetings?' Wrong. Here's the RACI framework that cut my meeting load by 60% while increasing influence. 1/ 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙫𝙨 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 Most PMs drown because they invite everyone who's "interested." Instead, split your stakeholders into: - R: People doing the work - A: People accountable for success 2/ 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙥 Stop asking for approval from everyone. Create two clear buckets: - C: Must consult before decisions - I: Just keep informed of progress 3/ 𝘿𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 > 𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 For "Informed" stakeholders, switch to documented updates. They'll actually retain more than in another recurring meeting. 4/ 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙋𝙝𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙚 "𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲." Use this in every email. Watch the right people emerge. 5/ 𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 Build your approval flows around your R&A stakeholders only. Everyone else gets strategic updates. --- This isn't about excluding people. It's about respecting everyone's time while maintaining momentum. If you found this framework helpful for managing stakeholders: 1. Follow Alex Rechevskiy for more actionable frameworks on product leadership and time management 2. Bookmark and retweet to save these tactics and help other PMs streamline their stakeholder management

I was Wrong about Influence. Early in my career, I believed influence in a decision-making meeting was the direct outcome of a strong artifact presented and the ensuing discussion. However, with more leadership experience, I have come to realize that while these are important, there is something far more important at play. Influence, for a given decision, largely happens outside of and before decision-making meetings. Here's my 3 step approach you can follow to maximize your influence: (#3 is often missed yet most important) 1. Obsess over Knowing your Audience Why: Understanding your audience in-depth allows you to tailor your communication, approach and positioning. How: ↳ Research their backgrounds, how they think, what their goals are etc. ↳ Attend other meetings where they are present to learn about their priorities, how they think and what questions they ask. Take note of the topics that energize them or cause concern. ↳ Engage with others who frequently interact with them to gain additional insights. Ask about their preferences, hot buttons, and any subtle cues that could be useful in understanding their perspective. 2. Tailor your Communication Why: This ensures that your message is not just heard but also understood and valued. How: ↳ Seek inspiration from existing artifacts and pickup queues on terminologies, context and background on the give topic. ↳ Reflect on their goals and priorities, and integrate these elements into your communication. For instance, if they prioritize efficiency, highlight how your proposal enhances productivity. ↳Ask yourself "So what?" or "Why should they care" as a litmus test for relatability of your proposal. 3. Pre-socialize for support Why: It allows you to refine your approach, address potential objections, and build a coalition of support (ahead of and during the meeting). How: ↳ Schedule informal discussions or small group meetings with key stakeholders or their team members to discuss your idea(s). A casual coffee or a brief virtual call can be effective. Lead with curiosity vs. an intent to respond. ↳ Ask targeted questions to gather feedback and gauge reactions to your ideas. Examples: What are your initial thoughts on this draft proposal? What challenges do you foresee with this approach? How does this align with our current priorities? ↳ Acknowledge, incorporate and highlight the insights from these pre-meetings into the main meeting, treating them as an integral part of the decision-making process. What would you add? PS: BONUS - Following these steps also expands your understanding of the business and your internal network - both of which make you more effective. --- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

Being a project manager is more than managing timelines It’s managing strong personalities. Early in my PM career, I thought the hardest part would be the deadlines. But I quickly realized the real challenge was people. The impatient VP who wanted everything yesterday. The team lead who nodded in meetings - then blocked every change. The stakeholder who changed priorities every other day. No Gantt chart could prepare me for that. But over time, I learned this: If you want to lead projects well, you have to learn how to lead people - especially when they’re difficult. Here are proven strategies for handling the toughest stakeholder types: 1️⃣ The “I want it yesterday” stakeholder Set expectations early. Prioritize together. Share trade-offs and use data to ground urgency in reality. 2️⃣ The resistant-to-change stakeholder Involve them early. Show them what’s in it for them. Build trust through small wins and use peer influence. 3️⃣ The stakeholder who angers easily Stay calm. Use neutral language. Prevent surprises with proactive check-ins. And if needed—bring a third party to the table. 4️⃣ The quiet, hesitant stakeholder Follow up 1:1. Give them time and space. Acknowledge their value publicly to build confidence. 5️⃣ The abrasive stakeholder Set boundaries. Redirect to facts. Document everything. And if it crosses the line - escalate quietly with support. 6️⃣ The one who changes priorities constantly Use a formal change process. Show the cost of rework. Create a backlog for future ideas. And revisit priorities in structured meetings. People skills are project skills. Mastering these dynamics is what sets great PMs apart. 🟨 Which stakeholder type challenges you the most? Let’s share strategies below.

Your stakeholder register is lying to you. Because you can’t spreadsheet your way out of sabotage. PMs love stakeholder registers ✔️ Name ✔️ Title ✔️ RACI role ✔️ Comms plan ✔️ Influence level It looks like alignment. It feels like control. But it’s fantasy. And completely out of touch with how power actually moves. Because your spreadsheet doesn’t capture: – The VP who nods in meetings but blocks you behind closed doors – The “low influence” engineer who derails everything with one Slack thread – The exec who only listens when the request comes from his favorite lead – The silent skeptic who’s secretly lobbying against the project – The director who delays initiatives to protect their turf – The architect quietly blocking progress because they weren’t consulted – The sponsor who “supports you” but vanishes when things get political – The “neutral” stakeholder who’s been quietly rallying dissent – The teams that pretend to align, then stall in silence This isn’t project management. This is political warfare, & most PMs are walking into it unarmed. Stakeholder maps lie. They ignore power that isn’t on the org chart. They reduce human complexity to color-coded rows. And here’s the truth: If you’re not actively managing workplace politics, they are actively managing you. ✅ Real stakeholder management means – Reading body language in meetings – Anticipating objections before they’re voiced – Knowing when to elevate & when to backchannel – Earning trust before you need it – Navigating ego and insecurity – Building coalitions before pushback happens – Reading the org chart & the shadow org – Knowing who to ask, who to influence, & who to stay the hell away from 📌 Because not every stakeholder wants you to succeed. 📌 Not every decision is made in meetings. 📌 Power is emotional. 📌 Influence is earned, & lost, off the record. 📌 And not every title equals real power. So how do you navigate the politics? ✅ Map the shadow org: Who really makes decisions? Who can block you informally? ✅ Pre-align before meetings: The real work happens in 1:1s, not in the room. ✅ Identify “ego risks”: Who needs to feel heard, respected, or “right” to stay cooperative? ✅ Speak their language: Translate your project goals into their priorities. ✅ Build alliances early: You don’t win power by asking for it, you earn it through trust. ✅ Know when to go around, not through: Not every fight is worth having head-on. Politics aren’t a side quest. They’re the main event. This is the game behind the Gantt chart. And no spreadsheet will play it for you. If you don’t know who’s holding the real levers, You’re just project managing in the dark. Influence isn’t captured in rows & columns. It’s built in quiet conversations, earned trust, & power you don’t see on the slide deck. Lead the people. Not the list. ♻️ Repost to help other #PMs navigate #officepolitics 🔔 Follow Elizabeth Dworkin for more on #strategicvisibility #TechPM #projectmanagement

I was sitting in a critical meeting about a privacy-sensitive feature when our engineering lead showed complex block diagrams and code snippets for 30 minutes. I watched as the non-engineers' eyes gradually glazed over. Suddenly, one of our lawyers interrupted: "So if I understand correctly, what you're saying is..." and succinctly summarized the technical problem and possible solutions in under a minute, even identifying the legal requirements we'd need to check. That lawyer was what I call a "Translator" - one of three critical enablers in cross-functional teams. In my study of cross-functional teams with Dr. Homa Bahrami (where I surveyed 100+ tech professionals), I discovered three types of enablers that grease the wheels of collaboration: 1️⃣ 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀: People with knowledge of multiple domains who can bridge communication gaps. That lawyer with technical understanding became our communication hero. 2️⃣ 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀: People with exceptional interpersonal skills who build networks, navigate conflicts, and create connections. I've watched an influencer transform a resistant stakeholder into our strongest advocate through careful listening and follow-through. 3️⃣ 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀: Executives who champion and support cross-functional teams from the outside, removing roadblocks and providing resources. ⭐ What is one action you can take today to become an enabler for your team? #TeamDynamics #ChaiTime