Stakeholder Mapping by Role
What It Is
A day-one exercise for a new role or project: map out stakeholders using a DACI-style breakdown.
- Driver: who is pushing this forward
- Approver: who signs off
- Contributor: who does or shapes the work
- Informed: who needs to know what's happening
The Refinement: Map by Role, Not by Name
In early-stage companies, the same person often holds several roles at once. A stakeholder map built around names breaks the moment the company grows and hires dedicated people into those roles. A map built around roles survives that growth without needing to be rebuilt, since new hires simply slot into the existing role structure.
Why It Works
The map stays useful as the organization changes, and it answers "who needs to see what" without depending on any one person's current title or workload.
Where This Stops
A role map tells you what each person is authorized to do. It doesn't tell you why they care or how they'll behave when things get tense. For that, add Stakeholder Driver Mapping.