How product managers should collaborate with business stakeholders
Business stakeholders help shape product decisions. Whether they define the vision, approve budgets, or help bring ideas to life, it is essential to cultivate strong partnerships with them. But as a product manager, you know collaboration is rarely simple. Getting individuals and groups aligned takes more than just sharing roadmap updates.
Working effectively with stakeholders is about more than keeping people informed. It requires strategic communication — tailoring what you share (and how) so each group gets what it needs to encourage a product's success.
A PM's job is to drive the product forward, but you cannot do this alone. You need support across the organization. And gaining that support means building authentic relationships and communicating in a way that resonates with each stakeholder.
Some of these conversations feel natural and productive. Others do not. Maybe an engineering lead pushes back on feasibility, or a product marketing manager needs a clearer story to tell. Some stakeholders stay quiet until it is too late, raising concerns just before launch. Others work independently, making alignment an afterthought. These challenges can slow teams down and create unnecessary friction.
The good news? Even if you do not control every decision, you can influence them. Stronger relationships lead to better outcomes, and trust compounds over time. By tailoring how you engage with each stakeholder, you can foster real collaboration (and make your job a whole lot easier).
If you are a PM, here is how to best work with key stakeholders across your organization:
Chief product officer
Similar titles include:
CEO, COO
VP of strategy
CTO, head of innovation
C-level executives and product leaders typically define the product vision and priorities. They focus on big-picture outcomes: market positioning, revenue growth, and long-term differentiation. As a PM, you are responsible for gaining executive buy-in and mapping the team's work back to strategy. You make it clear how product decisions ladder up to business goals and communicate metrics such as customer value, revenue, and marketing impact. You also use dashboards or executive briefs to highlight trends and design points.
Where PMs can go wrong:
Chasing feature requests without validating strategic fit
Pitching ideas without a clear business case
Bringing roadmaps for approval instead of seeking feedback earlier
Leaving leaders out of key trade-off conversations
VP of customer success
Similar titles include:
CPO, CFO, VP of finance, general counsel
VP of sales, VP of business development, director of procurement
Company leaders like the VP of customer success control budgets, head count, and operational resources that impact product work. While they are not involved in the day-to-day work, they make key decisions that determine what gets funded and when. PMs interacting with these company leaders focus on showing how product investments contribute to growth or efficiency. You identify any legal, financial, or operational hurdles early so they do not derail plans. And you advocate for more budget or head count when necessary.
Where PMs can go wrong:
Focusing on implementation instead of tying initiatives to business impact
Not making a strong case for how new resources will drive growth
Not flagging budget or legal considerations early enough
Treating these stakeholders as gatekeepers rather than partners in decision-making
Product team member
Titles include:
Engineering manager, UX lead, solutions architect
Support manager, customer success lead
Product marketing manager, marketing manager
Product team members are the cross-functional leads and core team members who bring product ideas to life. They care deeply about the work itself and how it gets done. As a PM, you guide this team to build and deliver a lovable offering. This means setting a clear vision and ensuring people understand where the product is headed and why that direction matters. It also means facilitating respectful collaboration and encouraging participation from a wide range of voices.
Where PMs can go wrong:
Not giving enough context (or not explaining the "why" behind their work)
Telling teams how to build instead of focusing on the desired outcome
Letting misalignment across teams slow down progress
Engaging the usual contributors every time instead of seeking diverse perspectives
Business analyst
Similar titles include:
Content creator, social media manager
Compliance officer, business analyst
Other teammates across the organization work with the product team regularly to shape messaging, drive adoption, and support key initiatives. Their insights help drive overall product success, so they need visibility into decisions. PMs should make product information easy to find. To accomplish this, create a knowledge base where folks can self-serve updates whenever they need them. And when it is time to share information on big changes that impact their work, be sure to give relevant context so they can adjust plans accordingly.
Where PMs can go wrong:
Sharing too much internal product discussion instead of the key updates stakeholders actually need
Making them chase down product information instead of centralizing it
Dismissing their feedback on messaging, positioning, or adoption
Handing them last-minute changes without enough time to plan
Strong stakeholder relationships are built — not granted. Every conversation is a chance to earn trust and strengthen alignment.
Improving how you work with stakeholders is not about one big change. It is about small, intentional actions that build trust over time. Every product team has unique dynamics, and every company has its own challenges. Instead of focusing on what is outside your control, start with what you can influence.
Where can you bring more clarity to decisions? How can you communicate in a way that actually drives action? The better you navigate these relationships, the less time you spend fighting misalignment and the more time you have to drive real progress.
Not sure where to start? Use our stakeholder map and stakeholder analysis templates to structure your approach and drive more effective conversations.
