Vibrant Publishers releases stakeholder management guide for project leaders

Vibrant Publishers has released Stakeholder Management for Project Managers, a new practitioner-focused book by Michelle Bartonico. The guide is aimed at helping project professionals improve engagement, adoption, and change management across complex projects.

Why it matters: - The book targets one of the most common reasons projects struggle: poor stakeholder engagement. - Vibrant Publishers is positioning the guide as a practical tool for project leaders who need stronger adoption, better communication, and more consistent change management. - The release adds a hands-on resource for professionals working across project delivery, program oversight, and organizational change.

What happened: - Vibrant Publishers announced the release of Stakeholder Management for Project Managers on June 30, 2026. - Michelle Bartonico authored the book. - Bartonico is a certified Project Management Professional and PROSCI-certified change practitioner. - The book is available in paperback, hardback, and e-book formats.

The details: - The book takes a practitioner-first approach to stakeholder management rather than treating engagement as a checklist. - Bartonico frames stakeholder work as a discipline built on structure, communication, empathy, and strategic decision-making. - The book is organized into eight chapters covering stakeholder theory, identification, mapping and analysis, engagement and communications planning, empathy and active listening, team selection, monitoring, and organizational change management. - Each chapter includes end-of-chapter summaries, quizzes, and scenario-based learning. - Readers get downloadable tools including a Project Charter, RACI Chart, Stakeholder Engagement Plan Chart, and two Stakeholder Register templates. - The final chapter covers organizational change management frameworks including ADKAR, Kotter's 8-Step Model, and the change curve. - The book is designed to help readers assess change readiness, respond to stakeholder signals, and sustain adoption after a project closes. - The intended audience includes project managers, program and portfolio managers, business analysts, delivery leads, product owners, organizational change management professionals, account executives, client partners, and others leading people through projects. - The book is part of Vibrant Publishers’ Self-Learning Management Series. - ISBNs listed for the book are 978-1-63651-690-5 for paperback, 978-1-63651-692-9 for hardback, and 978-1-63651-691-2 for e-book. - More information is available on Vibrant Publishers' LinkedIn page, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X.

Between the lines: - The release leans on Bartonico's experience leading enterprise initiatives at Trinity University, including the creation of the university's first Enterprise Project Portfolio Management Office and a 90% voluntary adoption rate on a multi-million-dollar digital transformation program. - That background signals the book is meant to be grounded in operational practice, not theory alone. - Early reader reactions highlight the book's accessibility and relevance, suggesting the publisher is aiming for both classroom-style learning and day-to-day reference use. - The focus on organizational change reflects a broader shift in project management toward adoption and behavior change, not just delivery milestones.

What's next: - Vibrant Publishers is likely to market the book to professionals managing complex, people-centered projects and change initiatives. - Readers can use the downloadable templates and frameworks immediately in upcoming projects. - Bartonico's conference and practitioner background may help extend the book's reach among project management and change leadership audiences.

The bottom line: - The book is designed to give project leaders a usable playbook for stakeholder engagement, with practical tools for driving adoption as well as delivery.