Welcome to the Product Masterclass Podcast! In this episode,Thomas Hartmann sits down with Melissa Appel, co-author ofAligned with Bruce McCarthy, to discuss one of the most critical challenges in product management: stakeholder alignment.

Melissa shares practical strategies for building trust, managing relationships, and fostering alignment to deliver valuable product outcomes. She dives into the essential skills product managers need—such asinfluence, persuasion, negotiation, and collaboration—to navigate complex stakeholder environments, especially when none of the teams report directly to them.

Whether you're a seasoned product leader or just starting out, this episode offers actionable insights to help you manage stakeholders and drive successful products.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• 📖 What inspired Melissa to co-authorAligned
• 🔑 Key challenges product managers face when managing stakeholders
• 🤝 Building trust and fostering alignment across teams
• 🛠️ Techniques for influencing and persuading stakeholders
• 🔄 Balancing collaboration when no one reports directly to you
• 🌍 The importance of clear communication in product leadership
• 🚀 Strategies to ensure product outcomes align with business goals

Links & Resources

Aligned by Melissa Appel and Bruce McCarthy

Product Masterclass – Take Your Product Skills to the Next Level

Connect with Us

Thomas Hartmann on LinkedIn

Melissa Appel on LinkedIn

Follow Product Masterclass on LinkedIn

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