Stakeholder management is one of the core responsibilities of Product Owners. However, not all stakeholders are equal or need equal attention and influence.

Many techniques, such as stakeholder mapping and stakeholder radar, and models such as DISC and MBTI, can help Product Owners to manage stakeholders more effectively.

Negotiation is all about achieving consensus. It’s often a situation of give and take.

In stakeholder management and communication, the most important thing to optimize is the message that you share with stakeholders.

Negotiation and diplomacy are about getting into the mindset of your partner and aligning their reality with yours. Active listening is key to both.

During negotiations with stakeholders—for example, about a feature—you want to get to a yes and agreement from stakeholders as soon as possible.

To be an effective value maximizer, a Product Owner should be versatile by applying various stances in various situations to collaborate with various types of stakeholders (e.g., practice situational leadership).