How business stakeholders should collaborate with product managers
The tension is subtle, but unmistakable. A quick status meeting takes a turn, an offhand comment lands awkwardly, or a critical decision stalls. Most of us have felt it: the ripple effects of misalignment. It is frustrating. And it slows progress.
Working well together begins with understanding your role as a stakeholder and how your input impacts the product team and broader business goals.
This blog is for those who collaborate with product managers — executive leaders and cross-functional partners in engineering, marketing, and beyond. (But stick around, product managers! You might want to share this with your stakeholders.)
If you work closely with product managers, take a moment to reflect:
When the PM asks for your input, do you provide thoughtful, actionable feedback or vague opinions?
Do you understand the product vision, or focus solely on your immediate needs?
Are you clear about your priorities, or do you expect the PM to decipher conflicting demands?
Are you collaborating as a partner, or treating the PM as a task manager?
Chances are, you can do better in at least one area. (And if you are honest about that, you are taking the first step toward becoming a more effective partner.)
Every feature, release, and roadmap decision demands collaboration. Sales and support identify customer needs and priorities. Engineering explores feasibility and helps refine ideas. Marketing ensures messaging resonates. The product manager ties it all together, balancing competing needs to make thoughtful decisions.
When this partnership works well, the results are better outcomes, happier teams, and a stronger product. But this requires intentional and ongoing effort. Stakeholders need to provide clear, actionable input, and PMs must thoughtfully integrate those insights to move work forward efficiently.
Understand your role and its impact on the product team by using this stakeholder map to clarify responsibilities and communication paths.
Let's explore four common stakeholder archetypes and how each one can strengthen its collaboration with PMs. And remember that although we focus on these four, other roles (such as external partners, customers, and analysts) also play a part in product success.
Strategy setter
This is you if:
You are closely involved in defining product vision, direction, and priorities.
The product’s success is central to advancing your strategic initiatives and business outcomes.
Common titles/roles:
CEO, COO, CPO, VP of strategy
CTO, head of innovation
Where these stakeholders can go wrong:
Micromanaging product teams, which can stifle creativity and delay progress
Withholding feedback until it is too late, or making impulsive decisions without long-term context
What to do instead:
Set clear priorities: Align product initiatives with company goals and communicate them clearly.
Be consistent: Avoid relitigating decisions or shifting direction without compelling new information.
Participate in key reviews: Join roadmap and strategy meetings to provide clarity and alignment.
Resource allocator
This is you if:
You are responsible for ensuring the product supports companywide goals, but are not involved in day-to-day product decisions.
Your role is to approve initiatives and resources that PMs depend on.
Common titles/roles:
CFO, VP of finance, general counsel
VP of sales, VP of business development, VP of customer success
Where these stakeholders can go wrong:
Losing touch with product progress, leading to misalignment with organizational goals
Failing to advocate for resources, leaving the team undersupported
What to do instead:
Connect outcomes to goals: Ensure product work supports high-level objectives like revenue growth or market expansion.
Champion resources: Advocate for funding, staffing, or other needs.
Amplify successes: Publicly acknowledge and celebrate the team's achievements to build organizational support.
Key contributor
This is you if:
You are a cross-functional lead, team manager, or power user invested in the product's success.
Your role involves representing your team’s needs and offering feedback for product decisions.
Common titles/roles:
Engineering manager, UX lead
Support manager, customer success lead
Product marketing manager, marketing manager
Where these stakeholders can go wrong:
Staying silent when your perspective could strengthen the product or improve processes
Flooding the team with excessive details that obscure the bigger picture
What to do instead:
Engage with intent: Contribute to brainstorming, testing, and roadmap discussions, ensuring your feedback is aligned with team goals and priorities.
Share insights constructively: Use feedback channels (like an ideas portal) to streamline communication.
Champion adoption: Encourage your team or network to use the product and highlight its value.
Frequent collaborator
This is you if:
You are a peripheral team member or collaborator who interacts with the product team when projects or initiatives overlap.
You want to stay informed about changes without heavy involvement.
Common titles/roles:
Content creator, social media manager
Compliance officer, business analyst
Where these stakeholders can go wrong:
Ignoring updates and being caught off-guard by changes that affect your work
Only offering feedback after a problem arises, missing opportunities to influence outcomes early
What to do instead:
Stay informed: Pay attention to monthly updates or newsletters to stay aware of progress and milestones.
Use available resources: Rely on tools like knowledge bases or FAQs to find answers you need efficiently.
Offer timely feedback: Share input when prompted. Even small observations can help improve the product.
So, which type of stakeholder are you? Collaboration thrives when stakeholders know their role — and play it well.
Becoming a better stakeholder
Strong collaboration is a skill that can always be refined. The Aha! suite is designed to support not just PMs, but everyone who collaborates with them. Here are some of the resources available to help teams work better together:
Templates for stakeholder alignment: Use customizable templates to clarify responsibilities and stay connected throughout product planning.
Shared notes and whiteboards: Stakeholders can collaborate directly within notes or whiteboards to brainstorm ideas, refine plans, and share input.
Stakeholder alignment strategies: Explore practical approaches to ensure everyone stays aligned on priorities or goals.
Take the time to explore these resources with your PM and identify which ones make sense for your team. Being a better stakeholder is not just about improving how you collaborate — it is about fostering a culture of shared ownership and driving collective success.
Align the team and drive better collaboration with the Aha! software suite — try it free for 30 days.
