I prepared also a text summary of this video. You can find it below the embedded video
Stakeholder Map – The Three-Circle Framework
- The three-circle framework is a stakeholder mapping tool that consists of three tiers of stakeholders.
- The first tier is the core stakeholders, who are the top stakeholders and tend to be few in number.
- The second tier is the direct stakeholders, who are still involved in the work but not to the extent of the core stakeholders.
- The third tier is the indirect stakeholders, who are not directly involved but need to be informed.
Core Stakeholders
- Core stakeholders are the top stakeholders who are involved in the working day-to-day.
- They tend to be few in number and are usually the direct manager or sponsors of the project.
- It’s recommended to keep the number of core stakeholders to a minimum.
Direct Stakeholders
- Direct stakeholders are still involved in the work but not to the extent of core stakeholders.
- They may have day-to-day involvement, but this is not their sole world.
- An example here is a product marketing manager who is involved in other products and marketing initiatives but still collaborates with the team.
Indirect Stakeholders
- Indirect stakeholders are not directly involved in the work but need to be informed.
- They are on the periphery of the work and are updated every now and then.
- It can be the founder or CPO.
Relationship Building with Stakeholders
- Building a strong relationship with stakeholders is important.
- Core stakeholders require a high frequency of building a relationship, while indirect stakeholders require low frequency.
- High touch is the level of care and collaboration required when working with core stakeholders, while low touch is required for indirect stakeholders.
- Stakeholders don’t need to be involved in every detail.
- A summary email, video, or demo that is generic and not specifically tailored to them is enough.
- The demo should be done at a lower frequency, such as once a month at the absolute maximum.
Adjusting Frequency and Touch Based on Stakeholder Map
- Stakeholders who are far out in the indirect category of the Stakeholder Map should have a low frequency and low touch.
- Stakeholders who sit more in the core and direct categories should have a high frequency and higher touch.
- If stakeholders are not in the right frequency and touch, we might want to adjust them.
- We might lower the frequency, change the touch, or do something like keeping them up to date in a monthly demo or email.
- The people who are core and more direct are key stakeholders that we need to build and foster a stronger relationship.