Managing Stakeholders in Engineering Training Programs

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

They Weren’t Even on the Project… But They Still Had Opinions. Ever had a stakeholder who feels involved but technically isn’t? Here’s how I handle “perceived stakeholders” who influence projects without official decision-making power, and how you can too (in 3 steps that take less than 10 minutes a week). A few years ago, I led a cross-functional project that spanned ops, finance, and IT. One department leader wasn’t in the official stakeholder group, but they thought they were. They chimed in during meetings, sent “approval” emails, and gave feedback that confused the team. The tension? Real. The confusion? Costly. The fix? Surprisingly simple. Here’s what I learned (and what I still do today): ✅ Step 1: Classify Every Stakeholder (Yes, even the “unofficial” ones) Use a RACI matrix or stakeholder mapping tool. I always tag these folks as “Interested, not Accountable”. That distinction lets me clarify their role without stepping on egos. ✅ Step 2: Pre-Frame Communication with a Purpose I say: “You’re a valued voice in the org and I wanted to keep you in the loop, but I also want to respect your time and clarify that this is more FYI than action-required.” It signals respect and sets boundaries. ✅ Step 3: Create a “Perception of Involvement” Without Adding Risk Send curated updates biweekly. One slide. One summary. No decisions needed. People want to feel included, not responsible, and this gives them that, without derailing the project. Why this works: 🔹 It reduces scope creep 🔹 It clarifies accountability 🔹 It protects team morale and timeline I’ve repeated this across organizations, cross-departmental projects, and it’s reduced stakeholder conflict by over 70%. If you’re managing change, cross-functional initiatives, or digital transformation, this simple strategy protects your timeline and your relationships. Because let’s be honest—every stakeholder is a potential roadblock or a future ally. How you handle them today determines which one they’ll be tomorrow. Want more frameworks for stakeholder alignment, project clarity, and leading with influence? 👉 Subscribe or follow for weekly leadership tips that cut through the noise and help you lead smarter in real time. #ProjectManagement #StakeholderEngagement #LeadershipDevelopment

How to Win Friends and Influence Stakeholders (without formal authority) If you work in enablement, L&D, or training, you know the job is more influence than control. You’re not the boss. But you need the buy-in. Here are 6 timeless principles (inspired by Dale Carnegie) to improve performance by building real influence: 1. Avoid arguments “You can’t win an argument.” Arguments create resistance. Understanding creates influence. Choose curiosity over combat. 2. Respect their opinions “Never say, ‘You’re wrong.’” Respect keeps stakeholders open. Collaboration starts when people feel heard, not corrected. 3. Start with warmth and yes “A drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.” Warmth wins attention. Agreement builds momentum. Start where you align—then move together. 4. Let the other person talk more “Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.” Influence begins with listening. If you want to drive clarity, make space for their thoughts first. 5. Look for shared goals “Begin in a friendly way.” You can’t influence what feels competitive. Make your work relevant to their goals. 6. Make the idea partly theirs “Let the other person feel that the idea is theirs.” Stakeholders support what they help build. Use questions, not just answers, to co-create the solution. Where have you seen one of these principles make the difference? I'd love to hear your example, story, or lesson in the comments!

We didn’t teach them how to explain things better. We taught them how to influence. 16 brilliant engineers. Engie Southeast Asia’s Research & Innovation team. One goal: Turn deep expertise into clear, confident communication — that moves people. Here’s what we unlocked: ✅ Executive presence — before a single word is spoken ✅ PSB — a simple structure that makes updates land ✅ Stakeholder strategy — identify, adapt, engage ✅ Communication style flexing — for Finance, Legal, Ops ✅ “Earn the Right” story — self-intros that build trust and position you as the person to follow (Sell your value and your ideas — without selling at all.) No jargon. No monologues. Just real stories. Delivered with impact. One of them said: “This is the first time I’ve ever introduced myself like that. And I think I finally believe it.” That’s what this work does. If your team is brilliant — but still struggling to be understood — this kind of work changes everything. Let’s talk. #executivepresence #stakeholdermanagement #storytelling #leadershipdevelopment P.S. Stakeholders don’t need more data. They need to trust you understand their priorities.

It's time to REALLY clarify the purpose of our learning programs with our stakeholders. Not just write the learning outcomes and create an evaluation form, but zero in our stakeholders’ real needs and expectations. In this podcast episode guest, Chris Taylor, and I discuss L&D's need to take the reins, clearly defining and using the purpose behind the request to drive everything else from design through measurement. Armed with a few practical questions, a strategy for continuous alignment, and clear measures to define our next steps, we can uplevel the effectiveness and impact of our programs. In this episode you'll hear ✅ Ideas to sustain motivation after training interventions are complete ✅How to shine a light on the immediate behavior change impact of learning programs, instead of only looking at lagging, longer-term data ✅One key question to define what is really needed and keep stakeholders aligned and on track ✅How to avoid over-complicating measurement by mapping out logic paths and measuring at multiple points ✅The value of measurement for real time iteration ✅Delivery practices proven to illicit behavior change rather than transfer information This conversation is one that will leave you with new insights and practical ideas to implement in your next learning program. Listen in! (links to the episode are in the article). #learninganddevelopment #talentdevelopment #learningoutcomes #measurement #purpose #stakeholders