Stakeholder Mapping: Finding Hidden Allies and Unexpected Opponents

For most public and community engagement efforts I’ve worked on, stakeholder mapping – identifying who cares about my issue / project, and why – has been essential for getting up to speed and building alignment on who to engage, when we should do so, & how to best set ourselves up for success. Rushing into outreach without understanding the full ecosystem can leave you missing key influencers or walking into avoidable conflicts.

When I think about how to map smarter, there are a few aspects I focus on. TLDR: Strategic engagement beats volume every time.

➡ Look beyond org charts.

Working with key staff is often more important than directly with an elected official or agency head. Building relationships with the trusted advisors – and with the organizations that they care about – can smooth the landing when your team does meet with the principal.

➡ Understand motivations, not just positions.

Today's "no" might be tomorrow's "yes.” Particularly at the local and regional levels, budgets and priorities can shift significantly year to year, so set yourself up for longer-term opportunity by taking time to understand what drives an organization’s stance, be it public pressure, mandates from a specific official, or personal experience.

➡ Identify the best connectors.

Leverage relationships that you or someone in your organization has. Utilize existing partners that you have a good relationship with; fewer things are better than a warm hand off from one respected community partner to another. Look at who your parent company or any key investors might know, and get their insights, buy-in, and support to ease introductions.

➡ Distinguish between validators and amplifiers.

While some stakeholders are best for lending credibility, others may be most useful for broadcasting your message to their own communities. Identifying which organizations, leaders, or partners can be both, or who have scaling capacity at the federal, state, and local levels, is essential to prioritizing outreach in both staff time and financial terms.

➡ Get to know your opposition.

You should always try to understand the landscape of those voicing opposition. Some are going to be “no” regardless of what you do, but others may be more willing to hear you out. Sometimes, getting a “no” to neutral is more important than turning out a “yes.” Willingness to engage with opposition in a thoughtful, open way can be hugely helpful with your current supporters too, demonstrating your commitment to the effort.

➡ Update your map regularly.

Stakeholder landscapes shift with political and business developments, issue evolution, and so much more. The map and engagement plan that worked six months ago may be out of date today, so set a cadence for updating and ensuring internal alignment.