- A stakeholder interview is a conversation
with a person who has a vested interest in a project
with the goal of gathering insights
to drive the project's success.
I'm gonna cover why and when they're worth doing,
how to prepare and conduct them,
and what to do with the insights.
So let's start with the why to do stakeholder interviews.
They can help us navigate future obstacles before they arise
and keep everyone engaged for a few different reasons.
One, they help us gather context and history on the project.
Think its origin, constraints, previously tried solutions.
Two, they identify business goals,
allowing us to track the right metrics
to prove the project's success.
And then, three, they align on a shared collaborative vision
for our project.
And last, four, they increase buy-in and communication.
Moving forward, our stakeholders feel heard
and are more likely to buy into our project's output.
Now when should we do them?
The earlier in the process
you can speak to your stakeholders, the better.
Ideally, stakeholder interviews
kick off a project or initiative,
welcome a new stakeholder,
and offer a reset when something goes awry.
So let's get into how to prepare
and conduct stakeholder interviews.
I think of this in five steps.
Set a goal, prepare questions, create rapport,
conduct the interview, and close.
Setting a goal.
Similar to a user interview, you have to start with a goal.
What are you hoping to learn?
For example, this could be:
identify potential concerns,
hear previous explorations,
outline communication preferences,
sign them on as a champion,
or even create shared success metrics.
Once you determine your goal, you can prepare questions.
I like to cover four high-level topics:
success metrics, priorities, history and expertise,
and process and workflow.
From there, use these high-level topics as a guide
to create a rough list of questions.
Here's an example of what that may look like
with each question aligning back to one of those topics.
These can be adjusted
depending on the stakeholder you're talking to
and their role and expertise.
We wanna kick off our stakeholder interview
by creating rapport via friendly introduction.
Here's an example script
of what that introduction may look like.
This is important for creating rapport
and aids in building that long-term successful relationship
with the stakeholder.
We typically include a few sentences about ourselves,
the purpose of the interview,
and a request for transparency and honesty.
Now that we've created some rapport,
you can jump into the interview.
Consider framing the interview
as a virtual or in-person coffee.
This informal atmosphere helps both parties relax
and thus makes the stakeholder more likely to open up.
As you conduct the interview,
remain as neutral as possible,
and focus on active listening.
Stakeholders will respond differently to interviews.
Some may be really quick to open up and share insights,
while others will need some coaching.
As you interview your stakeholder,
be sure to help the stakeholder feel heard with eye contact
and offering words of acknowledgement,
like "I see," and "That's helpful."
Don't rush the stakeholder,
and ask questions in a calm, relaxed cadence.
As we wrap up the interview,
we like to ask "Who else should I speak to?"
The answer gives us insight
into who they may think would be valuable to the project
and potentially an introduction to other key stakeholders.
Once finished with your questions,
thank the stakeholder for their time
and sharing their expertise.
Now, after all of this, what do you do with the insights?
Analysis of insights from stakeholder interviews
can be lightweight and informal,
or robust, systematic.
Most teams capture high-level insights
in a straightforward document
where immediate team members can identify concerns,
success metrics,
and ideas mentioned by multiple stakeholders.
The takeaways that emerge from this analysis
can help inform all aspects of our project:
research, ideation, priorities,
timeline, resources, and stakeholder engagement plans.
To recap, stakeholder interviews help us gather information
that may help shape the design process,
define success metrics,
and ultimately meet our stakeholders' expectations.
They save us time and resources by minimizing redundant work
and lay the foundation for successful relationships
with stakeholders.
- Thanks for watching.
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