Power/Interest Grid

Purpose

The Power/Interest Grid helps project teams identify their stakeholders and calibrate engagement strategies. By plotting each stakeholder on a 2×2 of power (ability to influence the project) and interest (level of concern about the outcome), the team knows who to manage closely, keep satisfied, keep informed, or simply monitor.

At a glance

How to run

1. List stakeholders (5 min): Brainstorm all individuals and groups affected by or able to affect the project.
2. Draw the grid (1 min): X-axis = Interest (low to high), Y-axis = Power (low to high). Label quadrants: Monitor (low/low), Keep Informed (high interest/low power), Keep Satisfied (low interest/high power), Manage Closely (high/high).
3. Plot stakeholders (12 min): Place each stakeholder on sticky notes and position them on the grid collaboratively.
4. Define strategies (5 min): For each quadrant, agree on the communication approach: frequency, channel, depth.
5. Assign relationship owners (2 min): For key stakeholders, assign a team member to manage the relationship.

Materials needed

• Large 2×2 grid on whiteboard or flip chart
• Sticky notes with stakeholder names
• Markers

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Forgetting internal stakeholders: IT, finance, legal, and HR can have high power.
• Static placement: Stakeholder positions shift over time. Revisit quarterly.
• Treating all stakeholders the same: The whole point is differentiated engagement.
• Making it public: The grid can be politically sensitive. Keep it internal to the project team.

Inclusion & accessibility

• Ensure the brainstorm includes voices from different departments and levels.
• Use anonymous input for politically sensitive stakeholder assessments.
• Make the grid large enough for all to interact with.

Variations

• Stakeholder Salience Model: Three dimensions: power, legitimacy, urgency.
• Influence/Impact Grid: Reframes power as influence and interest as impact.
• Stakeholder Onion Diagram: Concentric circles showing proximity to the project.

When NOT to use this

• When the stakeholder landscape is tiny (fewer than 5 stakeholders).
• When stakeholder management is already mature and documented.
• When the team lacks the political awareness to map stakeholders accurately — consider external input.

Source & further reading

• Aubrey Mendelow, stakeholder analysis (1991)
• Project Management Institute (PMI)
• MindTools: Stakeholder Analysis