Internal stakeholder interviews are part of a product’s discovery process, whether it’s a new product or an existing product that needs a revamp. Just like user research, interviewing stakeholders such as technical managers, design leaders, business strategists, and marketing execs help lay the groundwork for designing and developing a product.
As a product consultant, I’ve done a lot of internal stakeholder interviews. It doesn’t just help me learn more about the business and product; it also helps my clients and their stakeholders to understand each other better. You’ll be surprised at how little stakeholders tend to collaborate in some companies, and seeing everyone’s points of view on one page helps galvanize ideas and solutions better.
What are the benefits of running internal stakeholder interviews?
1. It removes ambiguity about the product, strategy, or plans. Different stakeholders may have different ideas or assumptions that could complicate the work involved and drag product timelines further out.
2. It provides a space where all voices are heard, especially when there’s too much office politics going around or misunderstandings are rife.
3. It helps gather more details on a product as some lessons, research, nuances, and goals may have been left out or undocumented previously.
4. It helps shape better decisions to create products that meet the user and business needs.
When do you need to conduct internal stakeholder interviews?
Internal stakeholder interviews are required at certain stages of the product process, and the most common is during the early stages of product design or redesign. In this section, I’ve listed the typical scenarios that call for stakeholder interviews. However, you shouldn’t be confined to this list. Whenever there is a gap in knowledge between stakeholders or you find there’s too much ambiguity or confusion, then it’s recommended to run short interviews to iron out issues.
1. During product planning and strategizing to collect insights on feasibility, viability, user requirements, and business goals. I usually do these interviews in preparation for a design sprint or a strategy session.
2. At the start of a product design or revamp to gather ideas and goals, while aligning people’s mindset.
3. During cross-functional project and team planning to assist in getting different teams on the same page and to understand the product challenges better.
4. During product retrospectives or crisis management to gather feedback on what worked and what didn’t, and plan for future improvements.
How to conduct internal stakeholder interviews?
Internal stakeholder interviews are similar to most internal interviews—semi-structured and less formal. The steps are straightforward:
- Identify the stakeholders you need to interview.
- Establish goals for the interviews.
- Do your research and prepare interview questions. It’s advisable to come armed with facts and figures to answer any questions from the stakeholders and to clear up any confusion.
- Document your findings and summarise them to share with other stakeholders.
When interviewing a stakeholder, you should keep an open mind and avoid going in with assumptions based on what you’ve heard from other stakeholders. You need to be as neutral as possible and listen attentively. Asking open-ended questions will help you dive deeper into an issue. When required, follow up on replies with more specific questions to unveil deeper insights.
Typically, you will ask questions about user needs, the product’s history (for an existing product), the current challenges, the product goals, product metrics, and also future plans. However, I recommend that you think about the product processes and any bottleneck that may arise. For example, think of questions such as:
- How do you or your team handle product issues or unexpected curveballs?
- How do you reach decisions and communicate them effectively? What do you do to avoid miscommunication and infighting?
- Are you aware of all the constraints or limitations from the business, teams, tools, or processes?
6 challenges that can arise from internal stakeholder interviews
Like any tool or method, it’s not foolproof. There are caveats attached to using the impact-effort matrix. However, the matrix is still a valuable method to set priorities and do big-picture planning; these FYIs are just something you need to aware of. So, what are the caveats?
1. Some stakeholders are hard to get a hold of
This can occur with time zone differences, different working arrangements, limited time, or inflexible schedules. If you are pressed for time, you can do an email interview or conduct focus groups instead.
2. Some stakeholders are not keen to be interviewed
This can happen when they don’t see the value of the interviews. In this case, keep the session well-structured and follow up with the findings or results to show how these interviews help shape the product.
3. Different stakeholders have different priorities
The common one is when technical stakeholders value feasibility, while design stakeholders value function and marketing. You’ll need to acknowledge these challenges and try to find a common goal and trade-offs that need to happen to move forward.
4. Different stakeholders have different expectations
This is similar to having different priorities. However, as you are the one who’s interviewing all the stakeholders, you’ll have an insight into the common ground each stakeholder or group has. It’s crucial to establish the common ground early to ensure the work that needs to be done can run smoothly later.
5. Some stakeholders may provide unclear answers or little detail
This is actually a common issue when it comes to interviews. The answers you get may be too vague, broad and lack details or too specific that it’s difficult to paint a big picture. Always clarify when you’re asking questions; it helps to summarize what a stakeholder has shared with you to remove any ambiguity. Additionally, avoid giving a stakeholder too much information such that it overwhelms them. And don’t fret because interviewing skills can be honed through practice.
6. You may run into an imbalanced power dynamic
Some stakeholders possess dominating personalities, or they are resistant to changes. You’ll likely run into red tape or bureaucracy too at some point in large companies. When you’re conducting the interview, come equipped with data and research and try to create a pleasant environment where honest feedback and opinions are welcomed. Or consider hiring a third-party product consultant who can neutralize the situation and produce objective results. If you’re up for more reading, check out my previous article on stakeholder management.
