The Stakeholder Map That Actually Works
Power/interest is not enough—add “what they fear losing.”
Happy Thursday. This week’s note focuses on a simple stakeholder approach that makes transformation smoother: going beyond influence maps to understand what key people fear losing—and how to address it directly.
The idea in 30 seconds
Classic stakeholder mapping misses the real driver: people support change when they believe they won’t lose what they value (time, control, status, safety, simplicity).
The framework
Map stakeholders on three lines:
Power: Can they block or accelerate?
Proximity: How close are they to the workflow? (frontline vs far-removed)
Fear-of-loss: What do they think they’ll lose?
Time
Autonomy/control
Safety/trust
Identity/status
Resources
Then write your plan for each key stakeholder:
1 message that protects what they value
1 ask that’s realistic
1 win they will feel within 2–4 weeks
A quick example
A project stalled because a key stakeholder feared losing control of scheduling decisions. The fix wasn’t persuasion—it was governance clarity: what decisions stay local, what escalates, and why.
How to measure it
Identify top stakeholders; rate support weekly (green/yellow/red)
Track engagement: meeting attendance + response latency
Monitor early wins: did your 2–4 week win show up?
One action for this week
Pick one initiative and complete this map for three people who matter. Write the fear-of-loss in plain language and build your message/ask/win.
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