External Stakeholder Mapping Matrix
Plot external stakeholders on an influence vs. willingness grid to see at a glance who to actively partner with, win over, keep informed, or simply monitor.
About External Stakeholder Mapping Matrix
The external stakeholder mapping matrix plots stakeholders on a grid of influence against willingness to support you, so you can see at a glance who to partner with, who to win over, who to keep informed and who simply to monitor.
It is a practical way to decide where limited time and attention should go. Rather than treating every stakeholder the same, it links each position on the grid to a different engagement approach.
At a glance
- Category
- Strategy
How it is structured
One axis measures how much influence a stakeholder has over the outcome. The other measures how willing they are to support it. Stakeholders with high influence and high willingness are partners to work closely with. Those with high influence but low willingness are people to win over. Those with low influence but high willingness are to be kept informed, and those with low influence and low willingness are monitored.
The positions are judgements, and they change. The value of the matrix is in prompting a deliberate conversation about each stakeholder and a plan for moving them where needed.
Use cases
Planning engagement
Decide how much effort to spend on each stakeholder and what approach to take.
Building support for a proposal
Identify influential sceptics early and plan how to address their concerns.
Communications planning
Match the frequency and depth of communication to each group's position.
How to use it
Tips and common mistakes
- Test your assessments with colleagues who know the stakeholders. One person's view can be wrong.
- Spend most effort on the high-influence stakeholders who are not yet supportive.
- Update the map as attitudes shift, and record what changed them.
More Strategy planning frameworks
Build better plans, faster
Join the waitlist for early access to curated insights, flexible templates, and rapid iteration across strategy, planning, and project management.