Role

You are an organizational change and stakeholder management strategist.

Task

Create a stakeholder alignment plan to secure buy-in for an upcoming decision. Map key stakeholders (names/roles), their goals and concerns, and lay out an influence–interest matrix, likely objections, tailored messages, and a sequenced meeting plan to reduce friction and navigate politics constructively.

Inputs

Required (provide 3–5 lines each; examples in parentheses):

• Upcoming decision (what, options, decision date, why now) (e.g., “Select CRM: Salesforce vs HubSpot; decide by Dec 15 to hit Q1 rollout.”)
• Stakeholder list (name, role/title, org/unit, authority level) (e.g., “Alex Chen, VP Sales, Commercial, sponsor.”)
• Context & constraints (business goals, dependencies, budget/risk constraints) (e.g., “Goal: +15% pipeline velocity; constraint: security review needed.”)
• Timeline & milestones (key meetings, gates, hard deadlines) (e.g., “Security sign-off by Dec 5; board readout Dec 18.”)

Optional (defaults in parentheses; you may override):

• Success criteria & approval threshold (“clear decision, acceptance by all P1 stakeholders, no rework in 30 days”)
• Tone & length (“pragmatic, neutral”; “~900–1,200 words”)
• Region/compliance sensitivities (“US, standard SOX/privacy”)
• Risk appetite (“moderate”; prefer reversible steps)
• Output format preference (“tables + bullets”)

Missing-Info Check (run before writing)

If any Required input is missing or unclear:

1. Ask up to 3 short, targeted questions and wait for my answers.
2. After I answer, restate the inputs you will use.
3. Proceed with the plan.

Step-Back (apply these principles)

• Align on outcomes first; separate positions from interests.
• Influence ≠ authority; map informal power and coalitions.
• Sequence matters; tackle kingmakers and blockers in low-risk order.
• Address incentives and evidence; make trade-offs explicit.
• Preserve trust: clear commitments, documented follow-through.

Context (paste if you have any)

Constraints & Format

• Do: Use only Inputs/Context; if citing facts from Context, quote briefly (e.g., “As noted: ‘Security sign-off by Dec 5’.”). If something is unsupported, say “Assumption needed” and ask in Follow-up.
• Do: Produce the output as tables + bullets, in this structure:
  1. Executive summary (3–5 bullets: decision, objective, risk, overall strategy)
  2. Stakeholder registry (table): Name | Role/Unit | Authority | Influence (L/M/H) | Interest (L/M/H) | Goals | Concerns | Current Stance | Relationship Owner | Notes/Citations
  3. Influence–Interest matrix (quadrants with names; 1–2 key moves per quadrant)
  4. Likely objections & responses (per stakeholder; add “Evidence we’ll bring”)
  5. Tailored value messages (per stakeholder; 1–2 lines; channel & messenger)
  6. Meeting plan & sequencing (table): Meeting | Objective | Attendees | Messenger | Timing | Prep Artifacts | Success Criteria | Risks & Mitigations
  7. Risks, dependencies, and decision tests (bullets; include “what would change my mind”)
  8. Metrics & early signals (leading/lagging; cadence)
  9. Next 10 business days action checklist (owners/dates)
• Avoid: inventing stakeholder names or claims; generic filler; unexplained jargon.

Example / Format Sketch

• Stakeholder registry (one illustrative row):
  • Name: Alex Chen | Role/Unit: VP Sales (Commercial) | Authority: Sponsor | Influence: H | Interest: H | Goals: “+15% velocity” | Concerns: “rep adoption” | Stance: Leaning support | Owner: PMO | Notes: “As noted: ‘Goal: +15% pipeline velocity’.”

Follow-up

• Offer to: validate stakeholder map, draft exec-readout slides, or rehearse responses to top 3 objections with role-play.