The Hidden Rules of Stakeholder Management

Hi, I'm Marlena Kowieska a freelance Product Manager with extensive experience at different levels of Product Management and in this video I want to show you how to manage your stakeholders and built long term relationships.

Managing stakeholders isn’t just a checkbox in your sprint cycle or your project plan — it’s a critical skill that makes or breaks your success as a product manager, product owner, project manager, developer, data analyst, or team leader. In this video, we explore a long-term, sustainable approach to stakeholder management — not surface-level tactics or quick fixes.

Whether you're a PM trying to build influence, a consultant navigating client expectations, or a product owner working with cross-functional teams, this video will help you rethink how you approach stakeholder management and relationships. We’ll look at the common mistakes professionals make early in the process — and how to avoid damaging trust before it even forms.

You’ll learn:
✔️ How to build stakeholder trust gradually
✔️ What most product managers get wrong in early stakeholder interactions
✔️ How to manage competing agendas without burning bridges
✔️ The mindset shift needed to build alignment over time
✔️ Why transparency, consistency, and listening matter more than authority
Stop trying to win every meeting. Start focusing on the relationships that matter. This is your guide to making stakeholder management a strength — not a struggle.

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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:20 What is a bad vs a good relationship with a stakeholder?
01:32 Understand what is out of your control
01:55 What stakeholder management is not
02:27 Negotiation skills in stakeholder management
03:24 The point of equilibrium in driving a car
04:40 1. Speak Your Stakeholder's Language
07:35 2. Protect Yourself
09:33 3. Be Real
12:16 4. Your Voice Carries
17:02 5. Be Reliable
20:52 6. Learn To Say No
24:27 Special Thanks


Questions answered in this video:

How do I manage stakeholders as a product manager?
What are common stakeholder management mistakes?
How can product managers build trust with stakeholders?
Why do stakeholders lose trust in product managers?
How do I recover from stakeholder conflict?
What’s the best way to align stakeholders with different goals?
How do I handle difficult stakeholders in product management?
How do I communicate effectively with stakeholders?
What do PMs get wrong about stakeholder relationships?
How can I improve long-term stakeholder engagement?
What soft skills do PMs need for stakeholder management?
How do I influence stakeholders without authority?
What causes stakeholder relationships to break down?
How should new PMs approach stakeholder management?
How do you avoid stakeholder drama as a PM?
Project stakeholder management