Last updated on Jun 23, 2024

Here's how you can navigate conflicts between end-users and stakeholders as an application developer.

Navigating conflicts between end-users and stakeholders is a critical skill for application developers. As the bridge between these two groups, your role involves understanding their distinct needs and finding a balance that satisfies both parties. End-users seek intuitive, efficient, and reliable applications, while stakeholders often prioritize business objectives, return on investment, and market competitiveness. Striking the right balance requires empathy, communication, and a strategic approach to problem-solving. Keep in mind that both end-users and stakeholders ultimately want a successful product, and your expertise can guide them towards common ground.

1 Understand Needs

To navigate conflicts effectively, start by thoroughly understanding the needs and concerns of both end-users and stakeholders. Engage with end-users through surveys, interviews, and usability testing to gather insights into their experiences and expectations. Simultaneously, communicate with stakeholders to comprehend their business goals, constraints, and visions for the application. This dual perspective will equip you with the knowledge to propose solutions that address both sides' requirements, fostering a collaborative environment where everyone feels heard and valued.

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Avilash Ghosh

Consulting@Virtusa|| Dalmia Bharat Group|| IIM Visakhapatnam
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We can approach such situations in two ways , firstly from an application developer perspective , it is important to list down the benefits that end users will achieve from the current features. It is important because if the end users happy , stakeholders can be convinced as the success of the product feature is the priority. Listen and evaluate the opinions provided by the stakeholders, sometimes creative ideas come with conflicts which is win -win for both end users & stakeholders. Time management : This is critical parameter as we cannot implement every ideas , that is why MOSCOW approach comes handy

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Rémy Wehrung
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Pour gérer les conflits, comprenez les besoins des utilisateurs finaux et des parties prenantes. Utilisez enquêtes, entretiens et tests d'utilisabilité pour les utilisateurs. Communiquez avec les parties prenantes pour saisir leurs objectifs. Cette double perspective permet de proposer des solutions satisfaisantes pour tous.

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2 Open Dialogue

Maintaining an open dialogue is essential for resolving conflicts. Create channels where end-users and stakeholders can express their opinions and feedback. This could involve regular meetings, shared platforms, or even a dedicated feedback loop within the application development process. Encourage stakeholders to observe end-user interactions to gain firsthand understanding of user challenges, while also explaining the technical and business rationale behind certain decisions to end-users. Transparency builds trust and helps align everyone's expectations.

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Rémy Wehrung
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Maintenez un dialogue ouvert pour résoudre les conflits. Créez des canaux pour recueillir les retours des utilisateurs et parties prenantes. Organisez des réunions régulières et encouragez l'observation mutuelle. La transparence renforce la confiance et aligne les attentes de tous.

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3 Prioritize Features

When conflicts arise over application features, prioritize them based on their impact on user experience and business value. Use tools like feature matrices or priority charts to visually represent the importance and feasibility of each feature. This helps in making informed decisions that can satisfy both end-users who desire functionality and stakeholders looking for a return on investment. It's a delicate balancing act, but with data-driven prioritization, you can justify your development focus to both groups.

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Rémy Wehrung
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Hiérarchisez les fonctionnalités selon leur impact sur l'expérience utilisateur et la valeur commerciale. Utilisez des outils visuels comme des matrices d'entités pour prioriser. Cet équilibre entre les souhaits des utilisateurs et le retour sur investissement permet des décisions éclairées, satisfaisantes pour tous.

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4 Compromise Solutions

Finding compromise solutions is a key part of conflict resolution. When end-user desires clash with stakeholder objectives, look for innovative ways to meet in the middle. This may involve scaling back features to fit budget constraints while still delivering on user expectations or proposing phased rollouts that address immediate user needs and later expand to fulfill stakeholder ambitions. Your creativity and problem-solving skills are invaluable in devising compromises that everyone can support.

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Rémy Wehrung
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Recherchez des compromis innovants pour résoudre les conflits entre utilisateurs et parties prenantes. Adaptez les fonctionnalités aux contraintes budgétaires ou optez pour des déploiements progressifs. Votre créativité est essentielle pour concevoir des solutions satisfaisantes pour tous les acteurs du projet.

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5 Educate Stakeholders

Educating stakeholders about the development process and the importance of user-centric design can mitigate conflicts. When stakeholders understand the technical complexities and the reasons why certain user needs must be prioritized, they are more likely to be supportive of decisions that favor end-user satisfaction. Use clear, non-technical language to explain development challenges and the potential impact of ignoring user feedback on the application's success.

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Rémy Wehrung
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Éduquez les parties prenantes sur le développement et la conception centrée sur l'utilisateur pour réduire les conflits. Expliquez clairement les défis techniques et l'importance de prioriser les besoins des utilisateurs. Cela favorise leur soutien aux décisions axées sur la satisfaction des utilisateurs.

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6 Reflect and Adapt

After navigating a conflict, take time to reflect on the resolution process and adapt your approach for future issues. Analyze what worked well and where there is room for improvement. Consider documenting conflict resolution strategies and outcomes to create a knowledge base for your team. By learning from each experience, you can refine your conflict resolution skills, making you a more effective mediator in the long run.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Ajay M.

Tech Strategy & Advisory | Digital Transformation | Business Architect | MBA
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I disagree with the whole premise that a developer needs to understand stakeholders and address their disagreemens. The developer role is clear and needs to be separate from stakeholder management. The developer's main goal is to ensure quality code is delivered on time. Anything beyond that is an aspirational goal for the developer. You cannot stress upon the developer to understand stakeholder needs and wants. That is a conflict of interest because then the developer is incentivised to see only those solutions that are easy for them, not for the stakeholders. So the whole premise is incorrect in my opinion. Have a strong BA and a solution architect to manage these aspirations.

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Here's how you can navigate conflicts between end-users and stakeholders as an application developer.

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1 Understand Needs

2 Open Dialogue

3 Prioritize Features

4 Compromise Solutions

5 Educate Stakeholders

6 Reflect and Adapt

7 Here’s what else to consider

Application Development

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