Each project includes its own unique set of stakeholders: primary stakeholders, secondary stakeholders and key stakeholders. Many times your stakeholders may already be defined in your project charter, while other times it requires research, stakeholder analysis and other investigative work to build out your stakeholder list. If you’ve already been employed by your company for a period of time and are familiar with the project environment, identifying your stakeholders might come naturally from your project team, through the grapevine or from referrals. However, if you’re new to a project team or an organization, and don’t quite have your bearings down, your stakeholders may not be so easily identifiable. In that case, you’ll want to begin your stakeholder search from the ground up, open yourself up to both internal and external research options, and be creative with the resources you have at your disposal. This article will help you get started on building your stakeholder list and uncover some conventional and unconventional ways to identify your stakeholders.

Where do you begin?

Dig up that historical database. “Sometimes, in order to go forward, you must first go back,” the famous words of Julia Cameron. When a new project comes your way, the only way to stay on top of it – even before it officially gets started – is by doing your homework and getting your hands on anything and everything within reach. Referencing old project charters, business processes and lessons learned documents is one of the quickest ways to get up to speed before the storm hits. It’s also a convenient way to get acquainted with the key players and understand the project landscape, so you can position yourself as a knowledgeable and informed project manager as you begin your stakeholder outreach.

Scour your company’s share drive. Another independent activity you can partake if your team is busy or you are trying to onboard is going through the folders of your department’s share drive. With all working documents in one location and access to past projects, you can consider the share drive a gold mine for nuggets of information related to your current and/or future projects. When beginning your review process, start with the requirements brief, so you can get an overview of the project and budget your time — your ‘stakeholder research’ time. Work your way through the document to determine the roles and responsibility of the project team, then supplement that information with other relevant documents such as a responsibility assignment matrix (RACI matrix), status reports, meeting minutes, change requests and other project-related documents. The idea is to walk away with a good understanding of who some of those stakeholders are, which departments they’re in, and what their involvement and contribution are to the project.

Interview your core team. While much of the preliminary project and stakeholder research can be done independently, it shouldn’t all be done independently. Your core project team (manager, peers, business partners, customers) should be able to provide you with general knowledge, if not in-depth knowledge that will get you going on naming your stakeholders. Come prepared with a basic understanding of your project and list of specific questions that will help them help you connect the dots and point you to resources that go beyond the surface level. A solid understanding of the historical context; social, political, and economical climate; and cultural DNA of an organization will help you navigate even the most complex work environment.

Refer to your company’s org chart. After interviewing your core team and conducting some of your own research, you must have jotted down several names in your notebook: first name, last name, middle initial or nickname. Whichever combination of names you can make out from those scratches in your notebook, one tool that often come in handy is the company’s org chart. Org charts typically provide basic information that will let you to search by department, title, name – and if you’re lucky, it’ll also include a photo. Print a copy, pin on your cube, leave it by the telephone and have it accessible at all times.

Visit your company’s website and sweep through the product and services pages.  Smart project managers will go beyond the “tier one” assets and project documentation. They’ll dig into the company’s product and services page for a high level overview of its offerings. They’ll also drill into the nitty gritty details to get as much information about the product as they can and many will even take it one step further by filling out the form and including their personal email address to get on the company’s mailing list. As Francis Bacon would say, “Knowledge is power.” Chances are you’ll receive a confirmation email with the name of a sales rep who can acquaint you with his role and point you to the other players on the team.

Watch your company’s demo videos and check out their YouTube channel. If your eyes are beginning to glaze over by all the product jargon, you can take an alternate route and supplement your stakeholder research by watching videos. Who doesn’t enjoy a good video or two? A couple that you should add to your immediate playlist are the corporate video, product demos, interview with your product managers and customer testimonials. Not only will you begin to develop your product acumen, but you’ll also be able to match a stakeholder’s name with a face so the next time you are in the lunchroom, you can open up a conversation with that stakeholder by giving them a pat on the back and complimenting them on their video.

Read through your company’s blog. Reading through your company’s blog is not only good practice, but it is also good form. You can consume as much or as little information about a particular topic as you’d like. All blogs come with a byline, so there’s a pretty good chance that your stakeholder is the one producing the content.

Monitor your company’s social media activity. An easy channel to overlook, but a valuable source of information at your fingertips, your company’s social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.) is an outlet you don’t want to neglect. Staying on top of your company’s news feeds will give you an idea of the key initiatives your company is trying to pursue and the audience they are trying to reach. You can follow the dialogue, see who’s tuned in and determine whether your audience is engaged. You may even want to jump into the conversation and tap into those key followers as a means to conduct some of your own market research. At the same time, you can also follow your company’s social media network to get a sense of the various internal and external activities your company participates in such as philanthropic causes and community service. Take that one step further by getting yourself involved so you can meet others and branch out. You never know who you will cross paths with and what doors it can open.

Stay connected and leverage your company’s network for influencers and industry leaders. If you haven’t already tapped into LinkedIn or Twitter to conduct your own research, you’ll want to make sure this is next on your to do list. Finding out who’s talking about your company and what industry leaders are saying is a good way to find potential partners and expand your stakeholder pool. Doing a keyword search on the subject matter is also a way to identify key influencers that might be able to advise, consult and provide an alternate viewpoint to your project. Many of these influencers also have a large social following, produce their own content and dominate the social sphere. Having them on your side can add flavor and a new perspective to your project.

Whether you’re taking on a new project or finishing up an existing one, stakeholders are key members of your project community and contribute in countless ways to move your project forward. Depending on the type of project, you’ll want to solicit stakeholders who offer a unique viewpoint and provide subject matter expertise that will create a positive influence and lasting impact on your project. It’s not always easy to find those stakeholders and it’s likely you’ll take more than a few hours if they’re not already in your project plan, but rest assured there are several resources at your fingertips you don’t want to overlook. Whether it’s a collaborative approach where you interview your core team and business partners, or an individual effort where you’re perusing the social networks, reviewing the company’s product page or blog, these nine tips are a cost effective way to begin building a robust stakeholder list for your project.