Stakeholder List, Map, or Personas

Definition

Stakeholder Lists, Maps, and Personas are complementary techniques for representing the people and groups affected by or influencing an initiative. A stakeholder list catalogs who they are; a stakeholder map visually plots them by attributes like influence and interest; personas synthesize research into representative, named archetypes capturing goals, needs, and behaviors of a user or stakeholder type.

Inputs

• An identified set of individuals, roles, or groups affected by or able to influence the initiative
• Research or knowledge of each stakeholder's goals, concerns, influence level, and interest level

Outputs

• A list or directory of stakeholders with role and contact information
• A visual map plotting stakeholders by dimensions such as influence vs. interest
• One or more personas representing common user or stakeholder archetypes, with goals and pain points

When to Use

• Early in an initiative, to ensure all relevant stakeholder groups are identified before planning engagement
• Tailoring communication and engagement strategy based on each stakeholder's influence and interest
• Designing solutions for end users, where personas help keep the team focused on real user needs rather than internal assumptions

When Not to Use

• Very small initiatives with a single, already well-understood stakeholder group
• Personas specifically: when there isn't enough real user research to ground them — invented personas without research can mislead rather than inform