My approach
Stakeholder management is not about getting sign-off. It's about building a coalition of people who understand the direction, trust the process, and feel heard even when the answer is no. I map stakeholders by influence and interest, and I tailor my communication accordingly.
The stakeholder map
High influence + high interest = manage closely, involve in decisions. High influence + low interest = keep informed, never surprise. Low influence + high interest = leverage as champions and early adopters. Low influence + low interest = standard updates only. I review this map quarterly - stakeholder dynamics shift.
Managing up
I bring executives two things: early bad news (with options, not just problems) and data-backed recommendations (not requests for permission). I structure every exec update as: situation → complication → question → recommendation → ask. No more than one page or five slides.
Managing conflict
When stakeholders disagree, I don't mediate - I reframe. Instead of 'Engineering says X, Sales says Y', I ask 'What outcome are we both trying to achieve?' Usually the conflict is about method, not goal. Getting everyone back to the shared goal dissolves most disagreements.
Real example
At SmartNews, I managed stakeholders across 5 teams and 18 people for global Ads programs. I introduced a weekly stakeholder newsletter, quarterly OKR reviews, and a dedicated escalation path for blockers above team level. Stakeholder satisfaction tracked at 8/10 consistently across the program lifecycle.