DISCOVERY & PLANNING · LESSON 02.02beginner

Stakeholder mapping (deep dive).

Plot the political graph before it plots you.

↳ tl;dr

Foundations covered the basics. This goes deeper: Mendelow's power-interest grid for engagement strategy + a RACI matrix for who does what on each decision. Use both — they answer different questions.

Power-Interest grid (engagement)

Mendelow's 2×2 (1981) tells you how to communicate. High-power + high-interest get manage-closely. High-power + low-interest get keep-satisfied (don't surprise them). Low-power + high-interest get keep-informed. Low-power + low-interest, monitor.

RACI matrix (decisions)

RACI tells you who does what on a specific decision or deliverable. Responsible (does the work). Accountable (one person — owns the outcome). Consulted (input before the decision). Informed (told after). Use it where ambiguity would otherwise stall a decision.

Decision	PM	Sponsor	Eng Lead	Legal
Scope change >10%	R	A	C	I
Architecture choice	I	I	RA	C
Vendor selection

// practice this

Read NPC reactions on stakeholder choices

Each scene's NPCs occupy different positions on a power-interest grid. Notice how the consequences of an answer play out differently depending on who you talked to.

// sources

Sources cited

[01]
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 7th Edition
Project Management Institute (PMI) · 2021 · retrieved 2026-04
PMI's flagship reference. 7e shifted from process groups to performance domains.
[02]
Environmental Scanning — The Impact of the Stakeholder Concept
Mendelow, A. L. · ICIS Proceedings · 1981 · retrieved 2026-04
Origin of the power-interest grid (Mendelow's matrix).
[03]
Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach

All lessons in Discovery & Planning Skip ahead: Requirements gathering — interviews, JTBD, user stories

Stakeholder mapping (deep dive).

Power-Interest grid (engagement)

RACI matrix (decisions)

Read NPC reactions on stakeholder choices

Sources cited

When to use which