Remember to describe more than one strategy when discussing how you would build relationships with stakeholders. Program managers at Microsoft directly rely on the efforts of various internal and external groups in order to be successful, and it is expected that a variety of techniques would need to be deployed in order to be effective.

"When starting at Microsoft I would first reach out to my peers and management to understand how things work internally. I would use these discussions to determine a strategy for internal group outreach as well as customer outreach.

I would then use a mix of formal and informal check-in meetings to discuss the current state of what is working well and what needs to be improved. I would ask if there are specific actions I could take to ensure a positive working relationship going forward. I would also engage in end-user shadowing where possible. I find that spending time with end-users goes a long way towards building trust and establishing a valuable information stream.

Finally, I like to engage with clients or co-workers in a social setting where appropriate. I enjoy coordinating team-building activities and client meals or events to get to know the people I work with better. Taking the time to learn something personal about a co-worker or client quickly adds value and helps to build a solid communication foundation."