Stakeholder Analysis: Power Interest Grid with Example

What stakeholder analysis is

Stakeholder analysis identifies who is affected by a project or can affect it, rates each person's power and interest, and decides how to engage them. The power-interest grid is the most common tool: it crosses the two axes into four quadrants, each with its own communication strategy.

On the shop floor, projects rarely fail for technical reasons. They fail because the shift supervisor was not heard, the director found out late or maintenance had no time to take part. The grid makes visible who needs attention before the problem shows up.

Visual map: quadrants and engagement strategy

The map shows the four quadrants, the scoring scale and the classification of the eight stakeholders in the example.

How to build the grid in 5 steps

1. List: everyone affected or influential, by name or role. Start from the project charter and the work breakdown structure: who performs, approves, supplies and receives each deliverable.
2. Score power (1 to 10): ability to approve, block, release resources or stop production.
3. Score interest (1 to 10): how much the project changes the person's routine, results or career.
4. Classify: a score of 6 or more is high; below 6 is low. This cut-off is a convention of the example; set yours and keep it.
5. Define the action: who, what, when and how often, in a 5W2H action plan.

The four quadrants

Example: machining cell layout reorganization

Fictional example. Eight stakeholders, scores from 1 to 10, high = 6 or more. The priority index is power × interest and orders people within a quadrant.

Priority index = power × interest (e.g., production manager 8 × 9 = 72)

Result: 2 stakeholders in "manage closely" (production manager, 72, and maintenance lead, 48), 2 in "keep satisfied", 3 in "keep informed" and 1 in "monitor". All 8 are accounted for (2 + 2 + 3 + 1).

From quadrant to engagement plan

The grid only pays off when the current stance is compared with the desired one. In the example, shift supervisors have interest 9 and power 5, and are resistant: the layout changes their routine. They sit in "keep informed", but the risk calls for a more demanding approach. Suggested action:

• Bring two supervisors into the group that designs the layout, promoting them from informed to participants.
• Validate the new flow on the floor before the change, using the Obeya room or the daily management board.
• Address operator apprehension with early training and an updated skills matrix.
• Give the director, who has high power and interest 5, a one-page monthly summary with schedule, cost and risks.

For the behavioral side of change, see ADKAR and Kotter's 8 steps. Risks that come from people go into the risk matrix, and the organizational context can be mapped with a SWOT analysis.

When and how often to update

• At project start, together with the charter.
• At each milestone or phase, because power and interest shift: a change of manager redraws the map.
• When an unexpected stakeholder appears, such as a supplier or the safety department.
• At the end, to record what worked as a lesson (see lessons learned).

Common mistakes

• Treating the grid as a fixed snapshot: scores age within weeks.
• Forgetting the floor: operators have low formal power but decide whether the change works.
• Scoring by likability: power is the ability to affect the project, not job title or personal rapport.
• A grid without a plan: without action, frequency and owner, it is just a drawing.
• Open to everyone: labels such as "resistant" are sensitive; restrict access.
• Different cut-offs in each version: fix the criterion (here, 6 or more) so versions can be compared.

Frequently asked questions

What is the power-interest grid?

A two-axis chart that places each stakeholder in one of four quadrants and sets the engagement strategy for each.

Who are the stakeholders in a manufacturing project?

Anyone affected by or able to affect the project: management, production, maintenance, quality, operators, purchasing, customers, suppliers and regulators.

What is the difference between a stakeholder and a customer?

The customer is one type of stakeholder. Stakeholders also include the team, managers, suppliers and the community.

How do you classify someone with high power and low interest?

In 'keep satisfied': report results and risks briefly and regularly, without requiring involvement in the detail.

How often should the analysis be updated?

At every project milestone and whenever people, scope or priorities change.

Is the power-interest grid the only method?

No. There are also the power-influence grid and the salience model, but power-interest is the simplest place to start.

About the author

Vagner Soares

Lean Manufacturing & Behavioral Management Specialist

Over 20 years in the automotive and metalworking industries (GM and Dana), Lean Manufacturing practitioner since 2006. SENAI instructor and mentor in Brazil’s Brasil Mais Produtivo program, delivering consulting, training and audits for 50+ companies, combining quality, productivity and people development.

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