How to Create a Stakeholder Map Using PM Skills: A Complete Guide

How to Create a Stakeholder Map Using PM Skills: A Complete Guide

Use the /stakeholder-map command in the phuryn/pm-skills repository to execute the skill defined in pm-execution/skills/stakeholder-map/SKILL.md, which generates a Power × Interest grid and a detailed communication plan.

The phuryn/pm-skills repository provides a dedicated stakeholder-map skill that automates the creation of professional stakeholder analyses. This skill guides the model through a structured workflow to classify participants by power and interest, map them to a standard grid, and produce a concrete communication strategy for any product initiative.

How the Stakeholder Map Skill Works

When you create a stakeholder map using PM Skills, the workflow defined in pm-execution/skills/stakeholder-map/SKILL.md executes a six-step process. The skill is invoked via the CLI command documented in pm-execution/commands/stakeholder-map.md, which forwards your project brief to the underlying logic.

Step 1: Gather Stakeholder Data

The skill first prompts you for project artifacts such as org charts, briefs, or team rosters. If no files are provided, it infers likely participants—including executives, engineers, designers, marketing, sales, support, legal, finance, partners, and end-users—based on the project context provided.

Step 2: Classify by Power and Interest

Each stakeholder is classified along two dimensions:

• Power: The ability to influence decisions or allocate resources (high or low).
• Interest: The degree to which the project affects them or their level of engagement (high or low).

Step 3: Place Stakeholders on the Power × Interest Grid

The skill renders a four-quadrant grid in Markdown format:

• Manage Closely (high power + high interest): Requires frequent 1:1s and involvement in early decision-making.
• Keep Satisfied (high power + low interest): Needs periodic updates with escalation reserved for critical issues only.
• Keep Informed (low power + high interest): Receives regular status updates and demo invitations.
• Monitor (low power + low interest): Gets light-touch updates with on-request availability.

Step 4: Generate the Communication Plan

For each quadrant, the skill constructs a detailed communication plan specifying frequency, channel, key messages, and risk mitigation strategies. This output is formatted as a Markdown table with columns for Stakeholder, Role, Power, Interest, Strategy, Frequency, Channel, and Key Message.

Step 5: Flag Potential Conflicts

The skill scans for stakeholders with competing interests and suggests alignment strategies to mitigate risks before they impact the project.

Step 6: Save the Final Map

The completed stakeholder map is emitted as a version-controllable Markdown document that can be shared with the team or stored in your project repository.

Running the Stakeholder Map Command

To create a stakeholder map, invoke the command followed by your project brief:

/stakeholder-map New analytics platform launch

You can also upload a CSV file containing existing stakeholder data; the skill will parse the file and auto-populate the classification table.

Example Output Structure

The skill generates a structured Markdown document similar to this:

## Stakeholder Mapping & Communication Plan

**Project:** New analytics platform launch  

| Stakeholder | Role | Power | Interest | Strategy | Frequency | Channel | Key Message |
|-------------|------|-------|----------|----------|-----------|---------|-------------|
| VP of Engineering | Exec | High | High | Manage Closely | Weekly | 1:1 | Align roadmap with technical constraints |
| Marketing Lead | Team | Low | High | Keep Informed | Bi-weekly | Email | Share feature benefits for go-to-market |
| Finance Director | Exec | High | Low | Keep Satisfied | Monthly | Dashboard | Highlight budget impact |
| Support Team | Team | Low | Low | Monitor | As-needed | Chat | Notify of release notes |

Key Implementation Files

The stakeholder map functionality is distributed across these specific files in the repository:

• pm-execution/skills/stakeholder-map/SKILL.md: Defines the step-by-step workflow and quadrant logic.
• pm-execution/commands/stakeholder-map.md: Provides the CLI wrapper that triggers the skill.
• pm-execution/README.md: Lists the skill among other execution-focused capabilities.
• README.md: High-level overview mentioning the stakeholder-map shortcut.

Summary

• Trigger the workflow by running /stakeholder-map followed by your project description.
• Input data can be provided as uploaded files (org charts, CSVs) or inferred automatically by the skill.
• Classification uses the standard Power × Interest framework with four distinct quadrants.
• Output includes a Markdown table with specific communication strategies for each stakeholder.
• Conflict detection is built-in, scanning for competing interests and suggesting alignment strategies.
• Source files are located in pm-execution/skills/stakeholder-map/SKILL.md and pm-execution/commands/stakeholder-map.md.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I run the stakeholder map command in PM Skills?

Execute /stakeholder-map followed by your project brief. The command is documented in pm-execution/commands/stakeholder-map.md and forwards your input to the skill defined in pm-execution/skills/stakeholder-map/SKILL.md. You can optionally upload CSV files containing existing stakeholder data for the model to parse.

What quadrants does the Power × Interest grid use?

The grid uses four quadrants: Manage Closely (high power/high interest), Keep Satisfied (high power/low interest), Keep Informed (low power/high interest), and Monitor (low power/low interest). Each quadrant has specific communication frequencies and channel recommendations defined in the skill logic.

Can I customize the communication plan output?

The skill generates a standardized Markdown table with columns for Stakeholder, Role, Power, Interest, Strategy, Frequency, Channel, and Key Message. While the structure is fixed by the skill definition in SKILL.md, the content is dynamically generated based on your specific project context and stakeholder inputs.

Where is the stakeholder map logic defined?

The core logic resides in pm-execution/skills/stakeholder-map/SKILL.md within the phuryn/pm-skills repository. This file contains the declarative instructions that guide the model through data gathering, classification, grid placement, and communication plan generation.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}