Key Players (in Mendelow's Matrix) are stakeholders with which characteristics?

• A. High power only
• B. Low interest and low power
• C. High interest and high power
• D. High interest only

Answer: (C)

In Mendelow's Matrix, the groups you focus on are determined by two factors: how much power a stakeholder has to influence the project and how much interest they have in its outcomes. The stakeholders who have both high power and high interest fall into the category that needs the most attention because they can strongly affect results and care deeply about what happens. They have the means to influence decisions and the motivation to see those decisions aligned with their goals, so you engage them closely, keep them involved in planning, and monitor their concerns actively.

If a stakeholder has high power but low interest, you still keep them satisfied but with less intensive engagement; if they have high interest but low power, you keep them informed and consulted; if both power and interest are low, you exert minimal effort.