The document discusses how to build trust with stakeholders rather than manage them. It suggests showing vulnerability, persisting to build trust over time through small moments, and caring about both goals and stakeholders' interests. When trust is established, requests can turn into shared goals, influencing gives way to mutual agreements, and teams work to win and lose together through collaboration. The key is to build trustful relationships that facilitate collaboration rather than simply manage stakeholders.

1. Kax Uson 🇵🇭
Product Person 5+ years
PM Mentor/Coach
Co-founder Career Hacking for Women
Karaoke superstar! 🎤

2. Don’t Manage Your Stakeholders.
Build a Trustful Relationship that results in
Collaboration Instead.

4. Don’t Manage Your Stakeholders.
Build a Trustful Relationship that results in
Collaboration Instead.
StockholmMinsk
Me :)
Mexico City
Paris
My Manager

5. 👎 Our team’s reputation was not really at its best
👎 Some of the marketplaces we worked with, really wanted
to stop using our Messaging product
👎 Which resulted in a very demotivated team - ours

7. vs

8. TRUST

10. Trust is choosing to risk making
something you value, vulnerable
to another person’s actions.
- Charles Feltman

11. Trust is choosing to risk making
something you value vulnerable to
another person’s actions.
- Charles Feltman

12. Trust is like falling in love.
The process is long, difficult
- and needs time in order to
grow.
- Simon Sinek

13. Trust is like falling in love.
The process is long, difficult
- and needs time in order to
grow.
- Simon Sinek
Trust is a product of
vulnerability that grows
over time and requires
work, attention, and full
engagement
- Brené Brown

14. It takes time.

15. It also takes a lot of work.

17. By Charles Green

20. Can they show vulnerability?

21. By showing vulnerability to them

22. How are you?
😫 I’m actually Tired. And can’t wait
for Friday.
😪 I had an insomnia attack last
night so I’m running on low fuel.
🤯 I’m still confused about the last
conversation we had. Can we start
with that for today’s meeting?

23. 😞 It’s not easy.

24. So I persisted.
☀ Stakeholders from Italy talking
about their concerns when the
pandemic just started.
☀ Stakeholders with kids sharing
their stress.
☀ Stakeholders who lived away
from their family, sharing their worry
that they will not be able to see their
family all year.

25. So I persisted. And so it started to
happen.

26. Do people feel that I also care
about their interests?

27. Am I not supposed to care about my
goals?
Am I not supposed to care about the
ambitions of my team?

28. Am I not supposed to care about my
goals?
Am I not supposed to care about the
ambitions of my team?
OF COURSE,
I SHOULD!

29. I care about my goals.
I care about the ambitions of my
team.
I care about the interest of my
stakeholders. Because they matter too.

30. ⚒ Shared Key Results
As a Team-
⚒ Attended OKR meetings they had
with their own stakeholders (when we
can)
⚒ Provided non-delivery related
support

31. 🙋🏻 I asked for Feedback
As a Person -
🙋🏻 Their goals Our Goals
🙋🏻 My stakeholders were also my team.

32. Benefits
☀ We started deciding together what a
good Key Result is.
☀ I started helping out in prioritizing
some sprints 😱
☀ We started really sharing problems
to solve and goals to achieve versus
getting requests for initiatives to solve
them

33. Trust is built on very small moments
- Brené Brown

34. Caring

35. As Product Managers, we are often told that
products are successful when our users trust
them.

36. As Product Managers, we are often told that
products are successful when our users trust
them.
As leaders and managers, we are often told to
create a trustful environment with our teams.

37. As Product Managers, we are often told that
products are successful when our users trust
them.
As leaders and managers, we are often told to
create a trustful environment with our teams.
So why shouldn’t we extend the same to
our stakeholders?

38. When there is
Trust
✅ Requests can eventually turn to
shared goals
✅ It’s less about influencing and
negotiation but more about coming to a
mutual agreement of what’s good for
everybody
✅ You win together and you lose
together

39. Don’t Manage Your Stakeholders.
Build a Trustful Relationship that results in
Collaboration Instead.

40. hello@kaxuson.com