Stakeholder interviews template

Stakeholder communication is critical to a project’s success. If you’re a project manager and getting clear answers from a stakeholder feels like trying to get blood from a stone, it may be because you’re not asking the right questions‌ — ‌or asking them the wrong way. 

Use this template to conduct more effective stakeholder interviews with structured stakeholder questions, project interview tips, and notetaking tools. This will lead to better alignment with stakeholders, clear direction, less churn, and ultimately, a more successful project. 

What are stakeholder interviews in project management?

Stakeholder interviews are an opportunity for project managers to have a structured conversation with a project stakeholder before kicking off a project. Interviewing project stakeholders helps you assess their influence on the project, gather valuable insights, confirm goals and expectations, and develop a strategy to complete the project. 

When you’re ready to kick off your project, use Mural’s project kickoff template to set your project up for success. 

The stakeholder interview template helps you:

• Get to know your stakeholders and learn about any relevant experience they might have. 

• Establish your stakeholder’s objectives and any performance indicators they want to hit. 

• Identify potential risks, challenges, or unique opportunities. 

• Get a sense of the project’s scope, essential requirements, or limitations. 

• Establish key milestones and deadlines.

• Get your stakeholder excited about being involved!

How to use the stakeholder interview template

To get the best results from your project stakeholder interviews, follow these steps:

Step 1: Understand the project 

Familiarize yourself with the project brief. Make sure you understand the scope of the project, how it ladders up to company goals, and what project success looks like. 

Step 2: Identify key stakeholders

Compile a list of who has a stake in the project. Use this simple stakeholder map template to identify and organize stakeholders both within and outside of your organization.

Step 3: Set up the interviews 

Send invitations to meet with your stakeholders, either virtual or in person. Give yourself plenty of time to ask all the questions included in the template, and leave a little extra to get to know each other or chat about anything else. 

Step 4: Break the ice

Interviewing project stakeholders doesn’t have to be so formal and awkward! You’ll get better results from your interview if your stakeholder is comfortable with you. Come up with some fun questions, or start with a show and tell icebreaker.

Step 5: Take quality notes

There’s plenty of freeform space within the Stakeholder Interview template to jot down notes. The template includes notetaking tips, but if you need more help, here are 7 Tips to Take More Effective Meeting Notes.

Step 6: Ask clarifying questions

If you don’t understand a stakeholder’s answer to a question, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification or elaboration. They don’t know what you don’t know! 

Step 7: Outline your key takeaways 

Summarize your takeaways from each stakeholder interview to help you set goals and stay on track. Consider these takeaways when building your action plan with Mural’s action plan template.

Step 8: Keep in touch

Establish important touchpoints and communication channels with your stakeholder. Make sure to keep them involved throughout the lifecycle of the project, and notify them of any changes.

Tips for running a stakeholder interviews

Run a seamless stakeholder interview with these tips. 

• Make sure you and the stakeholder are aligned about the scope and goals of the project. You should both review the brief and any other relevant information beforehand. 

• Use Private Mode to take notes from your Stakeholder Interview.

• Once you’ve gathered takeaways from all your stakeholder interviews, put together a project roadmap that includes stakeholder touchpoints and allows for continuous feedback.