Say it like this
- We need stakeholder buy-in on this decision.
- Identify all stakeholders before the meeting.
- Let's keep the stakeholders informed of any changes.
Use it at work
Planning
- Who are the key stakeholders for this project?
- Let's update stakeholders every Friday.
Getting approval
- We need all stakeholders to agree on the scope.
- I'll set up a stakeholder review.
Communication
- Let's send a short stakeholder update.
- Some stakeholders want more detail.
Don't say this
Stakeholders are interested in or affected by specific projects or decisions, not companies. Use in, not of.
Don't mix it up
| Term | What it is | Who writes or uses it | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| stakeholder | Anyone affected by or interested in the work | Leaders, users, teams | Projects |
| sponsor | Senior person who backs the project | Leadership | Funding, support |
| client | Customer paying for the work | External | Agencies, vendors |
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. We should schedule a meeting with all the _______ before making a decision about the API redesign.
2. Which sentence uses stakeholder incorrectly?
3. You want to involve people who care about the project outcome. What do you say?
4. Rewrite using stakeholder: The people who care about this feature need to agree before we build it.
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 3
"We need stakeholder buy-in on this decision."
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More about stakeholder
Real examples(4)
- in a project kickoff
"Let's list the stakeholders first: product, security, support, and the two customers in the pilot."
- in an email
"Could you loop in the relevant stakeholders before we change the pricing page?"
- in a status update
"I have shared the plan with stakeholders and nobody has objected so far."
- in a retrospective
"We forgot that support was a stakeholder, so they found out about the change from customers."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. Do not confuse with shareholder (investor in a company). A stakeholder is anyone affected by or invested in a project outcome, not necessarily financially.
- ✕The stakeholder decided to add a new feature.✓The stakeholder requested that we add a new feature.
Stakeholders typically request or influence decisions, but engineers and managers make the actual decisions.
- ✕He is a shareholder, so he is a stakeholder.✓He is a shareholder and also a stakeholder in our mobile app project.
Shareholders own company stock; stakeholders are anyone affected by or interested in a specific project.
Other forms(3)
- stakeholder noun
"The main stakeholder in this initiative is the customer success team."
- stakeholders noun (plural)
"We must communicate with all stakeholders before launching the product."
- stakeholder feedback adjective
"We collected stakeholder feedback during the review session."
Often used with(6)
- key stakeholders · The most important people involved in or affected by the project
- engage stakeholders · To involve and communicate with people who have an interest in the outcome
- stakeholder buy-in · Agreement and support from the important people involved
- stakeholder feedback · Opinions and input from people affected by or interested in the project
- identify stakeholders · To determine who needs to be involved or informed about a project
- stakeholder meeting · A gathering of people with an interest in or responsibility for a project
Similar words(3)
- party · More formal, but narrower; usually refers to legal parties in a contract.
- participant · Someone actively involved, but does not necessarily imply long-term interest or investment.
- interested party · More descriptive but less common in tech; emphasizes interest rather than involvement.
Questions(8)
- Who are the stakeholders in a software project?
- Typically the product manager, engineering leads, designers, the teams whose systems you touch, customer support, leadership and the end users.
- How do you use “stakeholder” at work?
- “Let's align with stakeholders before we commit to a date” or “I'll send a stakeholder update on Friday.” Key stakeholders are the people whose approval you need.
- What does stakeholder mean at work?
- A stakeholder is a person or group who is affected by a project or decision, or who can influence it. Examples are managers, other teams, customers and partners.
- What is the difference between a stakeholder and a shareholder?
- A shareholder owns shares in a company. A stakeholder only needs to be affected by, or interested in, the project or company. A customer is a stakeholder, but not a shareholder unless they own shares.
- How do you pronounce stakeholder?
- STAKE-hold-er. The first syllable rhymes with make and gets the main stress.
- What are internal and external stakeholders?
- Internal stakeholders work inside your company, such as engineers, product managers and executives. External stakeholders are outside it, such as customers, partners, suppliers and regulators.
- What does stakeholder management mean?
- It means finding the people affected by your work, understanding what they need, and keeping them informed so they support the project. In practice it is mostly clear, regular communication.
- What can I say instead of stakeholder when it sounds vague?
- Name the group: the security team, the customers in the pilot, Finance and Legal. You can also say the people affected or the decision makers, depending on what you mean.
