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Overview

Product managers are accountable for ensuring execution supports the strategic direction set by leadership. Stakeholder alignment isn’t about reporting status; it’s about continuously validating that what’s being built reflects what matters most. This guide walks through how to keep that alignment strong using a structured process, with Lane as the supporting system.
1

Ground Yourself in Strategic Goals

Start by understanding the strategic priorities set by leadership — company OKRs, business goals, or thematic bets. These provide the context for any product work.Now translate that into action:
  • If needed, create product initiatives or objectives that reflect these goals
  • Assign owners, timeframes, and tags to structure them for review
  • Or, if the company-level Objectives are already sufficient, use them as-is and link Opportunities (Features/Insights) directly
This step ensures you’re not guessing - you’re building with purpose.
2

Align Around Opportunities Through Strategic Reviews

Before jumping into planning or execution, host review sessions with key stakeholders:
  • Discuss linked Opportunities - are they solving the right problems?
  • Validate if product initiatives reflect current priorities
  • Adjust scope, timing, or focus based on input from leadership, GTM, or tech
These conversations create shared ownership and reduce the risk of last-minute pivots.
3

Create Focused Roadmaps for Stakeholder Alignment

Use roadmaps to communicate direction — not just timelines:
  • Structure roadmaps around themes, objectives, or initiatives
  • Choose Swimlane for strategic grouping, Timeline for visibility into sequencing
  • Customize columns, groups, and filters based on what your audience needs to see
The goal is not to show everything - it’s to show the right things clearly.
4

Maintain Visibility with Clear Progress and Health Signals

Keep stakeholders informed without over-communicating:
  • Update progress regularly using status fields (Not Started, In Progress, etc.)
  • Use health indicators (On Track, At Risk) to flag potential issues early
  • Assign ownership clearly — ambiguity erodes trust
This makes stakeholders feel informed without needing constant 1:1s or slide decks.
5

Make Review Rhythms Part of the Process

Alignment fades without regular check-ins. Use structured reviews to:
  • Share updated roadmap views or OKR progress
  • Highlight what’s changed and why
  • Reconfirm priorities and revisit trade-offs
Lane’s saved views make it easy to bring the right context into each conversation.

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Best Practices

  • Don’t wait for formal reviews — share context early and often
  • Tailor roadmap views to stakeholder roles (e.g. execs vs. tech leads)
  • Keep objectives and progress fields current — stale data breaks trust
  • Use reviews not just to inform, but to make decisions together

Building Roadmaps

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