Keep stakeholders informed

When senior management gets involved, the stakes are high. You're working on something visible. Something that matters.

Stakeholders come in all shapes -- finance, legal, brand partners, external vendors. Each one has different needs. And those needs change. Constantly.

I've learned the hard way that surprises kill trust. The fastest way to lose a stakeholder's confidence is to let them find out about a problem from someone else.

Here's what I do now:

• Send materials before the meeting. Decks, data, context. Give people time to digest. Walking into a meeting cold leads to bad decisions.
• Own your numbers. Know the facts. If someone asks you a metric, you should know it without looking it up.
• Be specific about what you need. Don't leave participation ambiguous. Tell stakeholders exactly what you want from them in that meeting.
• Take notes. Close the loop. If you discussed it, follow up on it. Every single time.
• Send updates proactively. Don't wait for someone to ask. A short email after a meeting goes a long way.

The pattern is simple: no surprises, no gaps, no silence. Keep stakeholders informed and they'll trust you with bigger things.