You're faced with conflicting stakeholder priorities in problem scope. How do you navigate to a resolution?

One effective way to navigate conflicting priorities is to facilitate a collaborative meeting or roundtable where stakeholders can voice their concerns and insights openly. In my experience, using a structured approach like the "5 Whys" technique during these sessions helps uncover root causes and common goals. This method not only clarifies the problem scope but also builds a sense of shared purpose among stakeholders, paving the way for a more harmonious resolution.

Amazon has a good mechanism to reduce these conflicts in priorities - called "Tenet". Tenet is a guiding principle that helps larger stakeholder team align and agree to certain critical questions. So during problem scoping, you design tenets that solve for future potential conflicts and state order of one priority over other. In product management, a common conflict is prioritizing customer experience v/s business metrics. Your program tenet resolves these conflicts well before they arise and keeps the team honest to a direction.

From my experience, if you are short on time (which is mostly the case), what helps is listing down the priorities from both sides, doing mental math to assign cost-benefit weightage to either side's priorities and gauging the motive behind each side's stance. If the motive is logical, it can be managed with numbers but if its emotional (or political), then one needs to communicate the appropriate stance in a way that it looks as a win-win for all sets of stakeholders. If you have time, then you can spend more energy in building arguments by researching and talking to experts so that you perform role as the decision maker more diligently. Be a good negotiator by looking for solutions instead of obsessing over problems / constraints.

When dealing with conflicting stakeholder priorities, start by deeply understanding each perspective and identifying shared goals. Facilitate open and transparent discussions to ensure everyone feels heard. Use data-driven insights to prioritize what will have the most significant impact, and seek solutions that allow for mutual compromise. Clearly document and communicate the agreed-upon path forward, and remain flexible, ready to make adjustments as the situation evolves

The key when prioritising goals is identifying your most influential stakeholders and focus your attention on those. Have these stakeholders come in the same room and have them come to agreement on the issue. Your communication skills are vital for this!

Once needs are assessed, shift focus to goal prioritization. Use a collaborative approach, such as facilitated workshops, to bring stakeholders together. Encourage open discussions about the impact, feasibility, and alignment of each goal with the overall project vision. Utilize decision-making frameworks like the MoSCoW method (Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have) to categorize and prioritize goals. This process ensures that critical objectives are identified and agreed upon collectively, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment to the chosen priorities.

Once the needs have been mapped and documented, you have to prioritize the conflicting areas based on their impact on the project’s success and strategic goals. The criteria that will guide how decisions are made should include factors like cost, impact, feasibility, or strategic alignment.

Navigating conflicting stakeholder priorities requires a structured and empathetic approach. 1. Reaffirming projects primary objectives and how they align with the organisation’s mission is the first step. 2. Facilitate open discussions and make sure you understand the stakeholder’s perspectives. 3. Evaluate and align the priorities considering the impacts on the project, risks, effort and value delivery is the best compromise between stakeholders’s relationship and project’s success.

Exploring different options to address conflicting priorities is essential for a balanced resolution. One approach that has worked well for me is using the "Six Thinking Hats" method by Edward de Bono during brainstorming sessions. This method assigns different thinking styles, like logical, emotional, and creative, to stakeholders. By doing this, we explore options from various perspectives, which often leads to innovative solutions. This approach encourages diverse thinking and helps us find paths that offer the greatest mutual gains.

One project I worked on had a range of conflicting stakeholder priorities when it came to defining the problem scope. The executives in the company wanted the new software system to be cutting-edge and have all the latest features to stay ahead of their competitors. The IT department wanted the system to be easy to integrate with existing systems and be cost-effective to maintain. The end-users, on the other hand, wanted a system that was user-friendly and streamlined their daily tasks. As the project manager, it was my responsibility to reconcile these conflicting priorities and come up with a problem scope that would satisfy all stakeholders.

The key to exploring options is about identifying the right people to bring around the table in a way that is presentative of the organisation whilst driving a culture of collaboration. Often times this process goes wrong because the stakeholders were mobilised from a subjective perspective rather than taking a organisational approach which considers the business, the people, customers and the entire ecosystem.

In many cases I have found the most effective way to get people aligned on a path forward is to ask "What needs to be true to achieve the required outcome". The creativity that the collective group can bring to bear on the issue, in many cases, actually navigates a path between what initially appeared as conflicting priorities. This drive to "AND" not "OR" also reduces the tension between individuals/groups.

Now, it’s time to put on your diplomat hat. 🕴️ Negotiating terms requires patience and creativity. 1. Frame the conversation around mutual benefits. 2. Find a win-win (or win-win-ish) scenario that everyone can back. When done right, this not only resolves the conflict but also strengthens relationships. 🤝

Finally, engage in negotiation to finalize the terms of the resolution. Approach negotiations with a collaborative mindset, aiming for consensus rather than compromise. Clearly communicate the rationale behind prioritized goals and explored options, ensuring that all stakeholders understand the broader context. Use interest-based negotiation techniques to focus on mutual gains rather than positional bargaining. Establish clear, measurable, and achievable terms that align with the agreed-upon priorities. Document these terms in a formal agreement to ensure accountability and commitment from all parties involved.

Muitas vezes, na fase de negociação, a avaliação e a priorização ainda se fazem muito presentes. Pois, parte da negociação envolve mostrar aos envolvidos o quanto o conflito pode impactar positivamente ou negativamente no andamento do projeto.

To navigate conflicting stakeholder priorities with an out-of-the-box approach, consider adopting a *collaborative problem-solving workshop* that shifts the focus from individual priorities to collective innovation. Invite all stakeholders to a facilitated session where, instead of starting with the conflicts, you engage them in a creative exercise, such as design thinking or brainstorming. Begin by reframing the problem as a shared challenge and encourage participants to ideate without the constraints of their initial positions. This not only fosters a sense of joint ownership but can also reveal alternative solutions that were not previously considered. The key is to create an environment where stakeholders feel safe to experiment ideas.

Execution needs more than just a plan—it requires active ownership and accountability. Define roles, responsibilities, and timelines clearly to ensure smooth implementation.

To effectively implement solutions, follow these steps: Create a Comprehensive Plan: Outline every step, assign tasks, and set clear deadlines. Ensure all team members know their responsibilities and timelines. Track and Monitor: Use metrics and regular check-ins to monitor progress. Address any issues quickly to keep the project on track. Be Flexible and Improve: Gather feedback continuously and be ready to adjust. Analyze what's working and refine your approach for better results. By following these steps, you can ensure a smooth and successful implementation process.

Once a resolution is agreed upon, focus on execution with a plan that considers all stakeholder inputs while sticking to the shared goals.

There is a need to have a problem/queries tracker for stakeholders so as to know your success in solving them with clear solutions stated and also identify the hadles (hard to solve problems) that require continuous follow up...

When implementing a solution, communicate the progress to all stakeholders by highlighting how it aligns with their respective goals. Theoretically, sharing updates jointly is the best approach. However, stakeholders are often in competition, and there's a risk of being perceived as favoring one side over another. Additionally, top management may want to control communication with key stakeholders themselves. While communication is important, you must be cautious about how you disseminate information. It can potentially be used against you if not handled carefully.

To navigate conflicting stakeholder priorities, start by aligning on the project's overarching goals. Facilitate open discussions to understand each stakeholder's concerns and needs. Use a prioritization matrix or MoSCoW method (Must, Should, Could, Won't) to classify and weigh requirements. Highlight areas of common interest and negotiate compromises where necessary. Communicate the impact of each priority on the project's scope, timeline, and resources. Document agreed decisions and ensure transparent, continuous communication to maintain alignment and manage expectations.

Forget about spending all your time on fancy prioritization frameworks. Sometimes, the best approach is to cut to the chase. Instead of trying to eliminate every conflict, focus on finding the common ground. Start by figuring out what everyone really cares about, even if it seems small. Once you've got that, the rest usually falls into place."

When navigating any conflict resolution, progress review is key. It doesn’t have to be a big structured meeting; small frequent checkins are quite efficient. The casual but thoughtful nature of a brief call or text can make stakeholders feel valued and their input heard.

While reviewing keep in mind the definition of done, refer to customer, and business outcomes rather than completion/outputs. Evaluate from customer experience and value perspective, and also keep in mind the employee ease of use!

Maintaining a knowledge book facilitates efficient decision-making among practitioners by documenting recurring issues and their solutions, enabling swift resolution of familiar problems and informing and enhancing training programs to improve decision-making skills. By adopting this proactive approach, we can optimize practitioner performance, minimize errors, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Also, during the project closure phase, ensure that the lessons learnt section captures both the actions taken and the challenges faced.