Who this is for
Business Analysts, Product Analysts, and aspiring BAs who need to identify, prioritize, and engage the right people to move analytics and change initiatives forward.
Prerequisites
- Basic understanding of your project or problem statement
- Awareness of typical business functions (Product, Sales, Marketing, Finance, Legal, IT)
- Comfort gathering information via short interviews or emails
Why this matters
Projects succeed or stall based on people. Stakeholder mapping helps you quickly find who has influence, who needs to be informed, and who can block or accelerate decisions.
Real BA tasks powered by good mapping
- Prioritizing requirements by aligning with high-influence stakeholders
- Planning communication cadences that reduce surprises and rework
- Spotting hidden blockers early (e.g., Legal, Data Governance)
- Designing change management plans that stakeholders actually follow
Concept explained simply
Stakeholder mapping is a visual and structured way to list everyone who is impacted by or can impact your project, then categorize them to plan engagement.
Mental model
Think of a project as a small city. Some people are decision-makers (high power), some care deeply (high interest), some are influencers with loud voices (high influence), and some must be kept informed to avoid surprises. Your job is to put each person in the right spot on the map so you communicate the right things at the right time.
Core frameworks you can mix-and-match
- Power–Interest Grid: Classify by power (ability to influence decisions) and interest (level of care/impact).
- Influence–Impact Map: Useful when technical stakeholders have high impact on delivery but formal power is low.
- Salience Model (Power, Legitimacy, Urgency): Triage stakeholders when issues are time-sensitive.
- RACI lens (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed): Convert a map into action roles.
Fast mapping checklist
- List: Who is affected, who decides, who funds, who does work, who approves, who could block?
- Score: Power, Interest, Influence (Low/Medium/High).
- Place: Put each stakeholder on a 2x2 grid (Power–Interest).
- Plan: Assign engagement style (Manage Closely, Keep Satisfied, Keep Informed, Monitor).
- Validate: Sanity check with a sponsor or senior peer.
Step-by-step method
Step 1 — Identify stakeholders
Scan across functions: Executives, Product, Engineering, Data, Sales, Marketing, Finance, Ops, Legal/Compliance, Support, Vendors, End users, IT Security, Data Governance.
Step 2 — Capture interests and stakes
For each stakeholder, note goals, concerns, success metrics, risks, decisions they influence, preferred communication channel.
Step 3 — Assess power, interest, and influence
Use quick ratings: Power (decision authority/budget), Interest (impact on their work), Influence (informal sway/expertise). 3-minute interviews or email prompts help validate.
Step 4 — Place on the Power–Interest grid
Quadrants: Manage Closely (High Power, High Interest), Keep Satisfied (High Power, Low Interest), Keep Informed (Low Power, High Interest), Monitor (Low Power, Low Interest).
Step 5 — Define engagement actions
- Manage Closely: 1:1s, tailored updates, involve in key decisions.
- Keep Satisfied: Short executive summaries, highlight ROI and risk mitigation.
- Keep Informed: Demos, release notes, feedback loops.
- Monitor: Light updates, watch for shifting influence.
Step 6 — Review and update
Update the map at key milestones (kickoff, major decision, go-live). Influence changes as the project evolves.
Worked examples
Example 1 — Product analytics dashboard rollout
Scenario: Launching a cross-team KPI dashboard.
- CTO: High Power, Medium Interest → Keep Satisfied (monthly exec summary).
- Head of Product: High Power, High Interest → Manage Closely (bi-weekly 1:1, decision checkpoints).
- Sales Manager: Medium Power, High Interest → Keep Informed (weekly demo notes, feedback form).
- Data Engineer: Low Power, High Impact/Interest → Keep Informed + Consult (grooming sessions).
- Legal: Medium Power, Low Interest (until customer data added) → Monitor; escalate to Keep Satisfied when PII is included.
Result: Fewer last-minute scope changes, early discovery of a data governance constraint.
Example 2 — Regulatory reporting change
Scenario: New compliance rules require additional fields in reports.
- Compliance Officer: High Power, High Urgency → Manage Closely.
- Finance Controller: High Power, Medium Interest → Keep Satisfied.
- BI Developer: Low Power, High Interest → Keep Informed + Responsible (R in RACI).
- Customer Support: Low Power, Medium Interest → Monitor → Keep Informed near launch.
Result: Clear validation path, on-time sign-off.
Example 3 — CRM migration
Scenario: Migrating from legacy CRM to a new platform.
- VP Sales: High Power, High Interest → Manage Closely (pilot review, adoption KPIs).
- IT Security: High Power (blocker potential), Low Interest → Keep Satisfied (security checklist, early risk review).
- Sales Reps: Low Power, High Interest → Keep Informed (training, cheat sheets).
- Vendor PM: Medium Influence, Medium Power → Consulted (integration milestones).
Result: Reduced pushback through early security involvement and tailored training plan.
Exercises
Complete Exercises 1–2 below. You can check your answers in the collapsible solutions. Then take the Quick Test at the end to validate your learning.
Exercise 1 — Build a Power–Interest grid
Use the roles given to place stakeholders into the four quadrants and propose engagement actions. See the Exercises section for the full instructions.
Exercise 2 — Apply the Salience Model
Determine which stakeholders are dominant, dependent, or dangerous (per the model) and propose immediate next steps.
Self-check checklist
- I identified at least one stakeholder per affected function
- I rated Power and Interest consistently and justified each rating
- I proposed at least one specific engagement action per quadrant
- I validated assumptions by noting who to confirm ratings with
- I captured risks or blockers that emerged from the map
Common mistakes and how to self-check
- Only listing obvious stakeholders (e.g., sponsor) and missing quiet influencers → Self-check: Did you include Legal, Security, Data Governance, frontline users?
- Confusing interest with power → Self-check: Who can actually approve or block? Who just cares a lot?
- Static maps → Self-check: When is your next map update? Note a date and trigger.
- One-size-fits-all comms → Self-check: Does each quadrant have a tailored frequency and format?
- Skipping validation → Self-check: Who will sanity-check your grid (sponsor or senior peer)?
Practical projects
- Project A: Map stakeholders for an internal analytics request backlog. Deliver a one-page grid and engagement plan.
- Project B: For a data quality initiative, create both a Power–Interest grid and a Salience triage, then convert to RACI roles.
- Project C: Run a 20-minute validation session with your sponsor using your map and adjust ratings based on feedback.
Learning path
- Learn Stakeholder Mapping (this lesson)
- Practice Stakeholder Interviews (question design and note-taking)
- Engagement Planning (cadences, formats, change management basics)
- Conflict Resolution and Negotiation (trade-offs, objections)
- Governance and RACI (turn maps into clear roles and decisions)
Next steps
- Finish Exercises 1–2 and compare with solutions
- Take the Quick Test to check your understanding
- Apply the mapping method to a real initiative you are part of
- Schedule a 15-minute review with a sponsor to validate your map
Note: The Quick Test is available to everyone. Only logged-in users will have their progress saved.
Mini challenge
Scenario: Your company plans to introduce a self-serve analytics portal for business teams. Identify 8–12 stakeholders, place them on a Power–Interest grid, and write 4 engagement actions you will take in the next 2 weeks.
Sample approach (one of many)
- Stakeholders: CIO (High P, Med I), Head of Marketing (High P, High I), Data Governance Lead (Med P, Med I), Security Analyst (Med P, Low I), Sales Ops (Low P, High I), BI Developers (Low P, High I), Finance Analyst (Low P, Med I), Support Manager (Low P, Med I), Legal Counsel (Med P, Low I).
- Actions: 1) 30-min kickoff with CIO, 2) Weekly demo and feedback with Marketing & Sales Ops, 3) Early review with Security and Governance, 4) Release notes to Finance and Support.
Quick Test
Take the test below (in the Quick Test section of this page). Everyone can take it; only logged-in users will save progress.