# Influence Tactic #1: See... ! [ rw-book-cover] (https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1592990461517389824/iln8hi1f.jpg) URL: https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1841185264783540554 Author: @lennysan on Twitter  ## AI-Generated Summary None ## Highlights > Influence tactic #1: Seek intel on how each stakeholder makes decisions > To effectively influence stakeholders, the first step is to understand how each person makes decisions––what they value (e.g. goals, incentives), who they consult, and what they’re afraid of. I usually start by setting up one-on-ones with key stakeholders (or people who know them), to understand their POV. > At YouTube, I needed the leads of a critical partner team to prioritize a feature that would otherwise delay my project by at least a quarter. I set up one-on-one meetings with the PM and engineering leads on their team. I explained to them what my project was trying to achieve, but also, more importantly, I asked questions such as: > - What are the top goals and OKRs of your team? (I’ll later need to show how my project might contribute to those goals.) > - What projects do you think will contribute the most to these goals? (These are the top projects I’ll be competing against.) > - What’s your process for deciding what to take on each quarter? (I want to understand the steps I’ll need to go through and key deadlines I shouldn’t miss.) > - Who are the key decision makers? What do they each care about? Who do they listen to? (I need to know which stakeholders to focus on, in what order, and how to approach conversations with them.) > - What concerns do you anticipate them having about my project? (Getting ahead of identifying detractors and their arguments.) > - How might I frame my project to increase the chances they support it? (An ask for advice from people who know the stakeholders the most.) > When having these early discussions, I first focus on establishing rapport. I convey that I’m seeking information at this point and not trying to convince them, because for people to share intel, they need to feel safe. They need to know that I’m here to listen, not argue with them, and that the info they share won’t be used against them at a later point. I start with statements like “This conversation is meant to be an informal chat. I’d like to better understand your world and get your advice as I’m looking to [explain my goals] and make things easier for everyone.” > Another way I find intel on stakeholders, especially executives, is to pay attention to what they say in other meetings and forums. I keep a notes doc where I write down the questions execs ask and the feedback they give. This helps me identify their patterns and anticipate questions and reactions for future discussions when I need their support. Below is what a notes doc might look like. > Based on the intel I gathered about the partner team at YouTube, I realized it wouldn’t be enough to emphasize how strategic my project was to the company. The partner team had a long backlog of requests from other teams that I was competing against, and they needed more confidence in my project’s expected impact on a particular metric they cared about. So I decided to walk key folks on that team through my project’s detailed forecast model to show that we would contribute meaningfully to their goals. I also recommended specific projects they could potentially deprioritize. This informed approach made it easier to influence that team, and they decided to support my team’s project, which allowed us to launch on time. This experience was a good reminder that I shouldn’t assume that others will agree that my project is a priority for the business—a tendency we PMs have—and instead be prepared to think through the right framing for my ask and provide impact assessments and other info that can help make tradeoff decisions compared with other projects. >  ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1841185264783540554))