Aligning Stakeholder Interests Before Negotiation Starts

Your brilliant strategy means nothing if Sarah from Finance, John from Legal, and the entire APAC leadership team don't fully buy in. This isn't the sexy part of business leadership, but stakeholder alignment is where market-changing initiatives live or die. I learned this the hard way at HP, navigating a project where 13 global business units were locked in a silent war over the same product. Each was convinced their perspective was the only right one. The standard approach? Endless meetings, forced consensus, and thinly-veiled power plays. Anytime lots of people need to agree, it can slow down a project—and I like hitting deadlines. So, I've developed a tactic to speed up decision-making: 1. Map the invisible battlefield first Start by understanding each stakeholder's position privately. This reveals the true constraints and red lines that would never surface in group settings. For enterprise projects, I always interview all business units separately, identify discrepancies, and then bring key findings to the global stakeholder who makes the final call. 2. Design the decision architecture The most contentious projects require clear decision rights. Establish who inputs, who recommends, who decides—and stick to it religiously. Remember: ultimately, there is someone who is the decider. The RACI chart exists for a reason. Understanding what the approver wants is critical, especially since they typically have the least time to give. 3. Create a controlled collision Once you understand the landscape, deliberately bring conflicting viewpoints into plain sight resolves issues faster when the quiet part is said out loud. In my experience, you actually get to the root of the value when people discuss in detail what's different. We specifically drive stakeholders together to discuss discrepancies we've identified. 4. Hunt for the “valuable dissenter” The loudest objector often holds crucial opinions that can elevate your entire approach—if you're willing to listen. On a recent project, there was a stakeholder who was a really “vocal” dissenter. We wanted to know why, we spent considerable time listening to understand their perspective. They didn't get everything they wanted, but they made a significant impact on the final direction—and both sides ended up satisfied. By taking the time, I am confident we delivered a better product for everyone. 5. Know when to move forward Perfect alignment is a myth. Recognize when you've reached critical mass. I've learned that if there's one dissenter out of a dozen stakeholders and everyone else is aligned—especially if the concerns aren't catastrophic—then it's usually time to move forward. These principles have helped me navigate enterprise-level projects that seemed politically impossible. What's the most difficult stakeholder alignment challenge you’ve ever faced, and how did you handle it?

As a brand leader, securing stakeholder alignment upfront (and not assuming you have it) is crucial before major initiatives—launches, brand refreshes, new messaging, etc. Differing perspectives are often the quickest way to derail progress! Taking stock of the situation is a step that's easy to skip. But instead... at the start of a new initiative, audit your key brand decision-makers and influencers—from the obvious (CEO, CMO) to the less visible (board members, early investors). Understand their: 🔸 Professional backgrounds 🔸 Personal drivers/motivations AND what they're goaled on 🔸 Communication preferences 🔸 Experience with brand strategy For example, is one of your stakeholders a first-time founder? Expect more personal tastes driving decisions. Or, a newly-hired exec might be looking to prove themselves—proactively bring them into your process and what's been done so far so they don't make as many assumptions. Next, identify potential sticking points so you can get ahead of them. Where have brand conversations become unproductive before? What makes execs clam up or get distracted? Proactively plan to navigate those potholes. This critical context-gathering (the often invisible pre-work) helps you tailor your approach for collaboration. Speak stakeholders' language, give visibility into your process, and reinforce how brand work supports the business—every single meeting. Driving alignment is an upfront investment that pays dividends later. When stakeholders actively engage and agree upfront, brand strategy sticks. #BrandStrategy #BrandLeadership #Marketing #Alignment

Aligning executive stakeholders with conflicting priorities is a puzzle many product people face. How do you solve it? When stakeholders pull in different directions, the secret isn't in aligning immediately around a product vision. Instead, elevate the conversation: align first on company goals. What outcomes do we aspire to achieve as a company? This unified understanding of company priorities becomes your north star. Here's how you can approach this: 1️⃣ Level Up the Discussion: Before diving into a product vision, ask stakeholders to agree on broader company goals. What did your CEO emphasize as priorities for your business? This context is crucial. It sets the stage for aligning individual goals to the bigger picture. 2️⃣ Connect Back to Product Vision: Once unified on company objectives, demonstrate how the product vision helps achieve these goals. "Here's our shared goal. Based on customer insights and priorities, this vision drives us towards it.” This shows your vision isn't just arbitrary—it's informed and intentional. 3️⃣ Seek Constructive Feedback: Encourage dialogue. Why might a stakeholder disagree with the vision? Is it truly about priorities, or personal impacts and unmet goals? This feedback refines your approach but remember, the product vision isn't a committee decision. It's guided by data and customer needs. 4️⃣ Give Credit and Build Back: Stakeholders feel valued when their input shapes outcomes. Make sure to recognize their contributions. This fosters trust and buy-in. Being stuck in the build trap often arises from chasing outputs over outcomes. Aligning on higher-level goals ensures your product strategy isn't just a list of features but a pathway to delivering real value. 🎯 So, next time conflicting priorities emerge, remember: align at the top, then articulate a product vision that navigates towards those shared company goals. How have you managed stakeholder alignment in your organization? Share your experiences!

How I transformed chaos into a high-trust environment (Just by asking better questions.) Stakeholder alignment is not easy And this situation tested everything I knew about it. I was leading a critical project with tight deadlines. But one stakeholder was not aligned. She didn’t trust her team. She believed control delivers results. Her working style caused chaos: → She’d would approve a plan, then reverse it. → She would micromanage every detail. → Decisions were emotional, not strategic. This had a negative impact on the project: → The team was frustrated. → Deadlines were slipping. → Team morale was dropping. Here’s how I shifted her mindset and got her to trust the process: 1/ Addressed the fear behind the behavior ↳ I asked: “What’s your biggest concern right now?” ↳ She admitted she feared the project would fail and reflect poorly on her. ↳ Identified what was driving the micromanagement. 2/ Created structure that builds confidence ↳ I shared a clear roadmap with milestones. ↳ Then I asked: “Can we agree to revisit changes only in our weekly syncs?” ↳ She agreed, and we avoided frequent disruptions. 3/ Shifted her from control to contribution ↳ I asked: “Which part of the project would you like to own?” ↳ She chose one area and took full responsibility. ↳ Sharing regular updates reduced her doubts. 4/ Made progress visible ↳ Each week, I presented results in data, not opinions. ↳ Her trust grew as she saw the team’s delivery data. The result? → Frantic emails stopped. → Last-minute changes stopped. → She started trusting the team and the plan. This wasn’t just a project win. It transformed how we worked together. The lesson: You don’t manage stakeholders. You align them. So, always= Ask questions → Set boundaries → Build trust. PS: Ever turned a difficult stakeholder into a champion?