Latest / The Promotion Memo with Fexingo: Getting Visibility, Sponsors, and Executive Presence / How One Employee Got Promoted by Building a Stakeholder Map
Transcript
- Lucas: So here's a question I've been turning over: why do some talented people get overlooked for promotion while others, who maybe aren't as technically strong, seem to glide upward? I think a big piece of the answer is stakeholder mapping. Luna: Stakeholder mapping — sounds like something a consultant would do for a project. How's that different from just networking? Lucas: It's more targeted. Networking is broad — you're building relationships across the company. Stakeholder mapping is about identifying the specific people who have a say in your next move. Not just your boss, but the people your boss listens to, the people who control resources, the gatekeepers who decide who gets visibility. Luna: Okay, so give me a concrete example. Who actually did this? Lucas: I was talking to a product manager at a fintech company — let's call her Priya. She was a mid-level PM, three years in, strong performance reviews, but she kept getting passed over for the lead role on the big cross-team initiatives. She was frustrated. Luna: Right, that classic 'good but invisible' trap. Lucas: Exactly. So I suggested she build a stakeholder map. Not a formal org chart — a map of influence. She listed everyone who had a hand in promotion decisions: her boss, her boss's boss, the VP of product, the engineering lead on her team, the head of design, and a couple of senior PMs who were often consulted. Luna: And what did she find? Lucas: A gap. She had a good relationship with her boss, but she'd never talked to the VP of product. And the VP was the one who ultimately approved the lead role assignments. So she started a monthly coffee chat with the VP — just fifteen minutes, no agenda, talking about product trends. Within three months, the VP knew her name and her thinking. Luna: That's smart. But it's not just about going higher, right? There's also lateral influence. Lucas: That's the second layer. Priya also mapped the informal influencers — people who didn't have formal authority but whose opinions carried weight. She discovered that the senior PM who always gave input on her projects was actually the VP's former mentee. That senior PM had a lot of sway. So Priya started asking for her advice more often, and she became an ally. Luna: So the map helped her see where she was under-investing. That's almost like a personal board of directors. Lucas: Exactly. And there's a third layer: dependency mapping. Who depends on your work? Who would notice if you stopped delivering? Those people can be powerful advocates because they have a vested interest in your success. Luna: I like that. It's not just 'who can help me' but 'who needs me'. Lucas: Right. Priya identified the engineering lead who relied on her specs to plan his sprints. She made sure he knew how much she valued his partnership. When the lead role opened up, he went to bat for her in the planning meeting. Luna: And did she get the promotion? Lucas: She did. She got the lead role on the next big initiative. And she told me the stakeholder map was the single most useful exercise she'd done. It made her intentional about where she spent her political capital. Luna: You know, this reminds me of something. Harvard Business Review published a study last year — 2025 — that tracked employees who did structured stakeholder mapping. They found those employees were 40 percent more likely to get promoted within 18 months compared to a control group. Lucas: Forty percent? That's huge. And it makes sense — you're not leaving your career to chance. You're systematically building the relationships that matter. Luna: Yeah. And the study also noted that the effect was strongest for women and underrepresented groups, who often have less natural access to informal networks. Lucas: That's a really important point. Stakeholder mapping can level the playing field because it's a structured, deliberate practice. It's not about being the loudest person in the room. Luna: Exactly. And speaking of structured practices — this show is exactly that for a lot of listeners. A couple of dollars a month keeps these episodes ad-free and coming every day. If you've gotten something out of our career deep dives, you can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It genuinely makes a difference. Lucas: Yeah, it's how we keep doing what we do. And we really appreciate it. Now, back to Priya — she also found that she had a blind spot with a stakeholder she thought was neutral but was actually a blocker. Luna: Oh, that's interesting. How did that come up? Lucas: She had the head of design on her map, but she'd never had a one-on-one with him. She assumed he was indifferent to her projects. Then she noticed that in design reviews, he'd always have minor critiques that delayed her timeline. It wasn't malicious — he just didn't trust her judgment because he didn't know her. Luna: So the map helped her identify a latent risk. Lucas: Exactly. She started including him earlier in the process, asking for input before the formal review. His critiques turned into collaboration, and her projects started moving faster. Luna: So the map isn't a one-time thing. It's something you update. Lucas: Absolutely. Priya revisits hers every quarter. People move, priorities shift, new influencers emerge. It's a living document. Luna: I think some listeners might worry this is too calculated. Like, am I being manipulative? Lucas: That's a fair concern. But I'd argue it's the opposite. You're not manipulating anyone — you're understanding the system you operate in. You're building genuine relationships based on mutual value. The alternative is to stay ignorant and hope for the best. Luna: Right, and that's how people get passed over. They assume good work speaks for itself, but it doesn't. It has to be seen by the right people. Lucas: Exactly. And stakeholder mapping gives you a clear action plan. Who do I need to talk to? What do they care about? How can I add value to them? It turns a vague 'networking' goal into specific steps. Luna: So for someone listening who wants to try this, what's the first step? Lucas: Grab a piece of paper or open a document. Draw three concentric circles. In the center, put yourself. In the next ring, put the people you interact with daily. In the outer ring, put the people you interact with occasionally or who influence decisions about you. Then for each person, note: do they have formal authority? Informal influence? Do they depend on you? And rate the quality of your relationship — strong, neutral, or weak. Luna: And then prioritize the weak relationships with high influence. Lucas: Exactly. Pick three people in the outer ring who have high influence and weak relationships. Then schedule a coffee chat or a quick sync. Ask them about their priorities, share what you're working on, and look for ways to help them. Luna: It's almost like a personal CRM. Lucas: It is. And it works. I've seen it work for Priya, and I've seen it work for dozens of other people. It's one of the highest-leverage things you can do for your career. Luna: Alright, I'm convinced. I'm going to map my own stakeholders this week. Lucas: Good. And let us know how it goes. We might even do a follow-up episode with listener stories. Luna: I'd love that. It's such a tangible tool — and it doesn't cost a thing except a bit of intentionality. Lucas: Right. And that's the whole game, isn't it? Being intentional about your career.