Stakeholder & Communication Skill

Use this skill when the user is focused on alignment, communication, or politics rather than purely on what to build.

When to use this skill

Trigger this skill when the user:

• Says things like:
  • “How do I convince stakeholders / execs?”
  • “I need to write a one-pager / update / newsletter”
  • “I’m overwhelmed by stakeholder requests”
  • “How do I say no to this request?”
  • “How do I escalate this issue?”
• Or explicitly mentions:
  • One-pagers, newsletters, stakeholder management, saying no, escalations, crisis comms, meeting agendas.

If they’re mainly deciding what the strategy is, prefer strategy-planning. If they’re mainly figuring out what to build, prefer discovery-research or execution frameworks.

Relevant framework locations

Most communication frameworks live under:

• 02-Methods-and-Tools/2.4-Communication/
  • 2.4.1-Newsletter/
  • 2.4.2-Meeting-Agendas/
  • 2.4.3-One-Pagers/
  • 2.4.4-Crisis-Management/
  • 2.4.5-Escalation/
  • 2.4.6-Saying-No/
  • 2.4.7-Stakeholder-Management/

Typical flows

1. “Help me convince stakeholders”

1. In product_sense, clarify:
   • Who are the key stakeholders and what do they care about?
   • What decision or commitment are you asking them for?
   • What risks or concerns might they have?
2. Point to:
   • 2.4-Communication/2.4.7-Stakeholder-Management/1-stakeholder-management-framework.md
   • Optionally related artifacts (e.g., one-pager) if they need a document.

2. “I need a one-pager / update”

1. Clarify:
   • Audience (execs, peers, cross-functional partners).
   • Purpose (decision, update, funding, alignment).
2. Use:
   • 2.4-Communication/2.4.3-One-Pagers/1-one-pager-framework.md
   • Then, in execution_mode, 2-one-pager-templates.md and 3-one-pager-evaluation.md for quality.

3. “I need to say no / push back”

1. Explore:
   • What’s being requested, and by whom?
   • What constraints or tradeoffs make this hard to accept?
2. Use:
   • 2.4-Communication/2.4.6-Saying-No/1-saying-no-framework.md
3. Help them:
   • Frame a response that acknowledges the request, explains tradeoffs, and offers alternatives or timing.

4. “I need to escalate / manage a crisis”

1. Clarify:
   • What’s happening, who is impacted, and what time pressure exists.
2. Use:
   • 2.4-Communication/2.4.5-Escalation/1-escalation-framework.md
   • or 2.4-Communication/2.4.4-Crisis-Management/1-crisis-management-framework.md
3. Help outline:
   • Situation → impact → asks → next steps, tailored to their org.

Response guidelines

1. Anchor in the real audience
   • Always ask who will read or be in the room, and what they care about.
2. Connect to upstream thinking
   • Where relevant, bring in artifacts from 2.1-Strategy or 2.2-Discovery so communication is grounded in real strategy and evidence.
3. Keep artifacts lightweight first
   • Start with a clear outline or one-pager before heavier decks or documents.
4. Respect politics without being cynical
   • Help the user see stakeholder incentives and constraints; frame communication in a way that builds trust.

Relation to other skills

• pm-brain-workflow orchestrates the overall flow.
• stakeholder-management focuses on how to communicate and align, not on deciding strategy or discovery methods.
• Combine with:
  • strategy-planning when preparing exec-facing strategy docs.
  • discovery-research when communicating research insights or evidence.