What do you do if senior stakeholders' needs are not being met in Senior Stakeholder Management?

2 Prioritize and negotiate

Once you have identified the root cause, you need to prioritize and negotiate the best way to meet the needs of your senior stakeholders, while also balancing the needs of other stakeholders, the project objectives, and the available resources. You may need to revisit the project charter, the business case, the stakeholder analysis, and the communication plan to ensure that they reflect the current situation and expectations. You may also need to propose alternative solutions, trade-offs, or compromises that can satisfy the most important and urgent needs of your senior stakeholders, while minimizing the impact on the project scope, quality, time, cost, risk, or benefit.

3 Communicate and document

Communication is key to managing senior stakeholders effectively, especially when their needs are not being met. You need to communicate clearly, frequently, and transparently with your senior stakeholders, using the appropriate channels, formats, and styles. You need to inform them of the progress, issues, decisions, and actions related to their needs, and solicit their feedback and approval. You also need to document and track any changes, agreements, or commitments that affect their needs, and ensure that they are reflected in the project plan, the change log, the risk register, or the issue log.

4 Manage expectations and relationships

Finally, you need to manage the expectations and relationships of your senior stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle. You need to set realistic and achievable goals, deliver on your promises, and report on your results. You need to acknowledge and appreciate their contributions, recognize and celebrate their achievements, and address and resolve their complaints. You also need to build rapport and trust with your senior stakeholders, by showing respect, honesty, integrity, and professionalism.

By following these tips, you can improve your senior stakeholder management skills and handle any situation where their needs are not being met. You can also enhance your reputation, credibility, and influence as a project manager, leader, or consultant.