The project team must engage many stakeholders who will operate the system with different engagement levels. To minimize interactions while maintaining collaboration, what should the project manager do first?

Performing a stakeholder analysis is the crucial first step because it systematically identifies all stakeholders, assesses their influence, interest, and current engagement levels. This analysis allows the project manager to categorize stakeholders and tailor engagement strategies, ensuring efficient communication and collaboration without over-engaging or under-engaging specific groups. Meeting with stakeholders to document needs and agree on communication (second option) is part of the execution of an engagement plan, but it's premature without understanding the full stakeholder landscape. Hosting regular meetings with all stakeholders (third option) is inefficient and potentially overwhelming, as not all stakeholders require the same level of interaction. Meeting each stakeholder separately (fourth option) is time-consuming and also lacks the strategic overview provided by a comprehensive analysis.