Stakeholders: can’t live without them, can’t get them to respond to your emails.

You know the type. The “very invested” stakeholder who mysteriously disappears the second you need approval. Or the one who attends every meeting and says nothing until the final hour, when they suddenly have strong opinions.

Getting stakeholders to truly engage, not just attend, but participate, contribute, and make decisions is one of the most frustrating parts of managing a project.

But here’s the secret: most of the time, they’re not trying to make your life harder. They’re just busy, distracted, or unclear about where they fit into the process.

So let’s fix that.

Here are five practical, human-centered ways to get your stakeholders to show up, speak up, and stay involved.

Trick 1: Make Them Look Good

Let’s be honest, everyone likes to look smart and successful.

If your stakeholder feels like being involved makes them look good, they’re far more likely to stay plugged in.

How to do it:

• Tie their involvement to real results. Did their feedback help the team avoid a major delay? Highlight it. Publicly.
• Give credit where it’s due. Say something like, “This change came from Alex’s insight — huge save for the timeline.”
• Frame engagement as a win for them, not just the team. It’s simple, but it works.

Also, talk in their language. If your stakeholder cares about customer satisfaction, talk about how the project impacts users. If they’re all about budget, speak to cost savings. Show that you understand what matters to them.

Trick 2: Bring Snacks

Not everyone gets excited about bullet points and spreadsheets. Sometimes you need to sweeten the deal.

We’re not saying you need to show up with cookies. (Although, to be fair, cookies help.) What we mean is this: give them something worth showing up for. Tangible progress. Small wins. Something they can actually celebrate.

How to do it:

• Highlight milestones, even the small ones. “We just finished design and we’re now halfway to launch.”
• Use visual dashboards instead of long reports. Make it easy for them to quickly see progress.
• Share updates that are fun to read and easy to absorb. No walls of text. No vague jargon.

Stakeholders are more likely to stay engaged when they feel like things are moving and their time is being well spent.

Trick 3: Give Them a Real Role

“Stakeholder” is not a job description. It’s a vague label that means something different to everyone.

If you want someone to be active in your project, you have to make it clear what they’re actually responsible for.

How to do it:

• Be specific. Are they supposed to give approvals? Make decisions? Champion the project internally? Help troubleshoot roadblocks?
• Put it in writing. A quick one-pager outlining who’s doing what can save hours of confusion later.
• Check in if the project evolves. If their role changes mid-way, let them know. Don’t assume they’ll pick up the shift on their own.

When people know exactly how they’re supposed to show up, they’re much more likely to do it.

Trick 4: Make It Easy to Engage

Your stakeholders are busy. They’re juggling meetings, goals, decisions, and maybe three other projects. If working with you is complicated, it’s not going to happen.

The easier you make it to engage, the more likely they are to respond.

How to do it:

• Send clear, short agendas before meetings and quick recaps after. No one has time for a ten-paragraph email.
• Use bullet-point summaries with clear asks and deadlines. Don’t bury the action items.
• Stick to tools they already use. If they’re in Slack, don’t make them log into something else just to leave feedback.

Remove friction wherever you can. People naturally participate when it’s low effort and high value.

Trick 5: Show the Big Picture

Nothing kills momentum like being asked for feedback without any context. When stakeholders feel like they’re reacting in a vacuum, they check out.

Instead, help them understand where the project is going and how their input connects to the larger goals.

How to do it:

• Include a simple visual roadmap in your updates. “Here’s where we are, here’s what’s next, here’s how you fit in.”
• Remind them what success looks like. Be specific about how progress is being measured.
• Let them know what’s staying the same, not just what’s changing. Consistency builds confidence.

When stakeholders understand the whole journey (not just the mile marker in front of them) they’re much more likely to stay engaged and enthusiastic.

Bottom Line: Engagement is Built, Not Hoped For

If you’re constantly chasing stakeholders, that’s not a personal failure. It’s a sign the structure needs work.

People engage when they feel respected, informed, and useful. They disappear when they feel confused, ignored, or overwhelmed.

The good news? You don’t need tricks. You need clarity, consistency, and a little creativity.

And if all this still feels like a lot to manage? That’s where our team at Partnered can step in. We help bring alignment where there’s chaos, engagement where there’s silence, and forward momentum where things feel stuck.

Because no one should have to chase down feedback like it’s a full-time job.