In today’s complex organizational landscape, building strong cross-functional stakeholder relationships is not just a skill, it’s a practice you have to continually work on; you have to make the effort to get into and understand their world. Effective collaboration between product teams and stakeholders requires more than just aligning on timelines and deliverables. It calls for deep, meaningful connections rooted in authenticity, integrity, respect, and a shared understanding of each other’s needs, steeped in the ability to debate and align around strategic goals!
Just as meditation practices require intention and mindfulness, fostering genuine stakeholder collaboration demands that we look beyond surface-level interactions. It’s about cultivating meaningful, human relationships that go beyond transactions and hence become transformative; helping teams and individuals co-create something greater than themselves. It means investing time in those relationships regularly, rather than when something is needed.
The Foundation: Authenticity, Integrity, and Respect
At the heart of any strong relationship is authenticity. Authenticity fosters trust, and trust is the foundation upon which effective collaboration is built. When we show up as our true selves, transparent and honest in our intentions, others are more likely to respond in kind. This authenticity creates a space where stakeholders feel comfortable sharing their perspectives and concerns, leading to a richer dialogue and a more collaborative environment. While, at Netflix, we shared our visions, direction, strategic goals & decisions, plus we worked to identify and share problems we were dealing with, as did our stakeholders. For us, a stakeholder was both internal and external and the focus was to build good relationships where you can lean into each other to solve common problems; pushing on the innovation boundaries continually.
Integrity is multifaceted and means keeping promises, honouring the words you speak and living a life where there is alignment between our words and actions. Integrity is essential in building great relationships with stakeholders, where commitments and accountability matter. When we act with integrity, we show others that we are dependable and trustworthy, strengthening the connection between teams and stakeholders. When stakeholders believe that a team or individual will consistently deliver on promises, they are more likely to support and advocate for that team’s success and align with direction. This takes time to build, so investing the time you have in those relationships is critical.
Respect is another critical element. In cross-functional collaboration, stakeholders come from various backgrounds, roles, and departments. Their priorities, expertise, and goals may differ, but respecting each other’s contributions is key to fostering collaboration. Always assume they come with best intentions, given their view of the world. NO one is out to make your life difficult. Respect allows for diverse perspectives to be heard and acknowledged, which not only enriches decision-making but also strengthens the bond between teams.
The Art of Understanding Each Other’s Needs
Understanding the needs of your stakeholders is a powerful way to build meaningful relationships. In any collaboration, it’s essential to ask yourself: What are their goals? What challenges are they facing? How can I support them in achieving success? What constraints are they facing? What data are they looking at, to get to that conclusion? Is there any data they might be missing? Would they like to be involved?
This approach requires active listening, empathy, and curiosity. It goes beyond assuming we know what our stakeholders want and our opinions about them; and involves taking the time to genuinely understand their priorities, motivations, and concerns. By putting ourselves in their shoes, we can tailor our communication and collaboration to better meet their needs, which in turn fosters greater trust and partnership.
When teams and stakeholders are aligned on their goals and deeply understand each other’s priorities, collaboration flows, rather than being an uphill battle. It’s no longer about pushing an agenda or managing competing interests—it’s about co-creating solutions that benefit all parties. It is a type of discovery in and of itself; discovery of potential shared goals!
The Power of Shared Goals and Alignment
Shared goals are the glue that holds cross-functional stakeholder relationships together. When both teams and stakeholders are clear about their common objectives, they can collaborate more effectively toward a shared outcome. Alignment ensures that everyone is heading in the same direction and that decisions are made in the best interest of that strategic goal. Invest time in debating strategy, rather than figuring out tactics; tactics will figure themselves out once you align on strategy. It all starts with aligned strategic goals. I remember sitting down with one internal stakeholder and both of us writing a list of all the things that each others teams saw as problems. We then sat down and prioritised these and worked together to figure out how to solve them. This opened the door for collaboration between the language managers and program managers on the big movies and series, in terms of potential context & hence quality issues where prior this collaboration was missing. True partnerships and involvement started to open up ONLY when we were willing to learn about each others needs and blockers.
By creating this shared sense of purpose, teams can move from transactional exchanges to transformational partnerships. When everyone is committed to the same goal, collaboration becomes a natural process of co-creation rather than a forced alignment of different agendas.
Integrity in Action: Delivering on Commitments
At the core of strong stakeholder relationships is the ability to follow through on commitments. Integrity means not just saying the right things but doing the right things. Stakeholders want to know that when they work with your team, there is accountability and trust. I would suggest considering communication channels & tactics such as a website, sharepoint page, or confluence page, where all transactional information is uploaded so that ANYONE can come at anytime to check roadmaps, priorities, decisions, risks, etc. That way it gets these things of your slack, inbox and having to reply. This is low level tactical stuff you shouldn't be worrying about, so the more accessible your information is through various communication channels; the more time you will have to focus on the big strategic stuff.
When commitments are consistently met, relationships deepen. When they are missed, especially without transparency, trust erodes. By keeping stakeholders informed, addressing challenges openly, and delivering on promises, teams build a reputation for reliability and trustworthiness.
Collaboration as a Practice
Collaboration can be seen as a practice, one that emphasizes deep connections, intentionality, and mindfulness. Just as meditation practices require reflection and self-awareness, effective cross-functional relationships demand that we continually check in with ourselves and our stakeholders. Are we showing up authentically? Are we honoring our commitments with integrity? Are we fostering an environment of mutual respect and trust? Are we aligned? Are we reliable? Do we deliver?
By approaching collaboration with this sort of mindset, we elevate our relationships to a new level of depth and meaning. This allows us to transcend individual roles and agendas, creating a shared space where true partnership and co-creation can flourish.
Building strong cross-functional stakeholder relationships is not just about following processes or checking boxes. It’s about cultivating deep, meaningful connections that are grounded in authenticity, integrity, and respect. By understanding each other’s needs and aligning around shared goals, we can create collaborative partnerships that are truly transformative.
Whether you're working with stakeholders inside or outside your organization, reflect on how you can show up more authentically, act with greater integrity, and create stronger alignment. In doing so, you’ll foster relationships that not only drive success but also elevate the human connection at the heart of every collaboration.
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