Whether you’re managing a project, leading change, or navigating day-to-day operations, one thing’s clear: stakeholders matter. Understanding who they are, what they care about, and how to work with them effectively is essential for success. In this guide, we’ll walk through four practical steps to build a clear, useful stakeholder map. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining what you already have, we will help you stay focused and aligned.

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1. Start with Stakeholder Personas

Before diving into charts and diagrams, take time to understand your stakeholders as people. Stakeholder personas go beyond names and job titles — they help you capture what each person cares about, how they think, and how they prefer to communicate.

For each persona, note:

• Name and role
• Goals and concerns
• Preferred communication style
• Level of interest and influence
• Temperature – are they an ally, potential blocker or neutral?

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Personas bring empathy into your planning process. Instead of thinking “the Head of Finance,” you’ll be thinking “Sarah, who needs concise updates and hates surprises.”

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2. Map the Organisation Chart

Next, build out an organisation chart that shows reporting lines and formal structures. This gives you a sense of where your stakeholders sit in the business and where formal authority lies. Note that you do not need to mark out every person in the organisation –only those that are relevant.

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The org chart helps you:

• Understand reporting relationships
• Identify potential decision-makers
• Spot gaps in your stakeholder coverage

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But remember — influence isn’t always hierarchical. Use this as a starting point, not the whole story.

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3. Prioritise with the Mendelow Matrix (Power–Interest Grid)

Not every stakeholder needs the same level of attention. The Mendelow Matrix, also known as the Power–Interest Grid, helps you group stakeholders by two factors:

• Power – How much influence they have over the work/decision.
• Interest – How much they care about the outcome.

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This gives you four categories:

• High Power, High Interest – Manage Closely
• High Power, Low Interest – Keep Satisfied
• Low Power, High Interest – Keep Informed
• Low Power, Low Interest – Monitor

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This is your engagement playbook. High-power, high-interest stakeholders may need weekly check-ins. Low-interest, low-power groups might just need a monthly update.

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4. Visualise Relationships with a Stakeholder Relationship Network Map

Lastly, if you want to go even deeper, go beyond individual stakeholders and look at the relationships between them. Who influences whom? Where are the informal alliances? Who’s in conflict?

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A Stakeholder Relationship Network Map connects the dots between your personas, revealing:

• Influence paths
• Communication flows
• Supportive or resistant clusters

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These insights help you manage change, build consensus, and avoid political pitfalls. Think of it as the behind-the-scenes view of your stakeholder landscape.

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Final Thoughts

Creating a stakeholder map isn’t just a one-time task — it’s a tool you’ll return to throughout your project or account. As relationships shift, roles change and new challenges emerge, your map should evolve too. If you’re ready to start mapping right away, www.stakeholdermaps.com offers a free stakeholder management tool — ideal for quick visualisation without any fuss.