How to Balance Stakeholder Priorities in Project Management

Why 73% of Projects Fail and How I Stopped Losing Stakeholder Support Let me tell you a quick story. Years ago, I was leading an ops overhaul that was supposed to streamline internal reporting. Everything looked good on paper, timelines, budget, resource allocation. I checked every box… Except one: I didn’t fully engage the stakeholders who would actually use the system every day. 🚨Big mistake. Within 3 weeks of launch, adoption lagged, teams worked around it, and leadership questioned the ROI. That’s when it hit me—involvement doesn’t equal alignment. Just because stakeholders are informed doesn’t mean they’re invested. So I changed my approach. Here’s what I did: • Identified key influencers across departments, not just top execs, but daily users and frontline managers. • Used long-form discovery sessions to understand their actual pain points (not just the ones listed on a dashboard). • Built a feedback loop into every sprint cycle. Small changes. Real-time validation. • Created internal linkages between project goals and departmental KPIs (this one’s huge). The result? 🎯 41% faster implementation. ✅ 3X higher adoption in the first 30 days. 💬 Consistent stakeholder engagement from kickoff to post-launch. Why does this matter for you? If you’re a project manager, ops lead, or department head, especially in finance, tech, or healthcare, here’s your reality: 📌 You’re juggling timelines, compliance, and team bandwidth. 📌 You’re expected to “drive transformation” and still “not disrupt the day-to-day.” 📌 You’re measured by results but those results start with buy-in. So ask yourself: Are you just updating stakeholders or are you empowering them to shape outcomes? That’s the difference between a delivered project and a sustained solution. If you’re tired of rework, delays, or lukewarm adoption, start by rethinking how you engage your stakeholders. Involve early. Involve meaningfully. Involve often. ✅ Start with a 30-minute alignment session before you build your next project charter. ✅ Don’t just collect feedback—co-create the solution with the people who live it. You’ll thank yourself later. Let’s stop managing projects and start leading with people who matter. #ProjectManagement #StakeholderEngagement #LeadershipInAction

🚀 Lessons Learned: Navigating Product Management at Haitians in Tech 🚀 In the vibrant, fast-paced world of running a nonprofit like Haitians in Tech, coupled with the challenges of product management, I’ve encountered my fair share of trials and triumphs. A particularly enlightening experience was navigating the complexities of balancing stakeholder expectations with our project’s core objectives and constraints. We embarked on a project with a clear problem to solve, but as we progressed, the scope began to swell with the diverse wants of multiple stakeholders. Despite our best intentions and adherence to roadmaps, we found ourselves veering towards a “Frankenstein” product – a mix of features that, while individually valuable, strayed from the essential need we aimed to address. This experience was a turning point for me, teaching valuable lessons in product management: 1. Stick to the Core Vision: The importance of staying true to the minimum viable need cannot be overstated. It’s the north star that guides your project to its intended impact. 2. Effective Stakeholder Management: Learning to navigate and sometimes push back against stakeholders’ wants was crucial. It’s about finding the delicate balance between being accommodating and maintaining the integrity of the project’s goals. 3. Prioritization and Focus: The experience reinforced the need to prioritize rigorously and focus on deliverables that align closely with our core objectives. It’s not just about doing things right but doing the right things. 4. Clear Communication: Transparent, continuous communication with stakeholders about what can (and cannot) be achieved within the set timeframe and why certain decisions are made is vital for alignment and support. 5. Agility and Adaptability: Finally, being agile and ready to adapt plans based on critical feedback and real-time learning is essential for steering projects back on course when they start to drift. Sharing this reflection isn’t about highlighting a setback but celebrating the growth that comes from it. I’ve learned that the art of product management, especially in a nonprofit context, is as much about managing people and expectations as it is about managing timelines and deliverables. I’d love to hear from others: How do you ensure your projects stay aligned with their core mission in the face of expanding scopes and diverse stakeholder demands? #NonprofitTech #ProductManagement #StakeholderManagement #ProjectScope #TechForGood

10 Steps For Stakeholder Communication As the Project Manager for an app development project, effective stakeholder communication was crucial. The stakeholders were diverse - from our internal tech team and sales department to external parties such as investors and the end-users. Our first step was to identify all the stakeholders and understand their expectations. For example, our tech team was focused on robust functionality, sales were interested in market competitiveness, and our investors were looking at return on investment. Using these insights, we developed a communication plan. For instance, our tech team preferred detailed email updates, while our investors appreciated concise presentations during monthly meetings. We customized our language and delivery to cater to each party. A significant roadblock occurred midway through the project, a technical glitch that delayed our timeline. Being transparent, we communicated this to all stakeholders promptly, explaining the situation, its implications, and our recovery plan. Although it led to some difficult discussions, especially with our investors, we handled them with professionalism and tact, reinforcing their trust in our capabilities. Throughout the project, we asked for feedback - such as the tech team's advice on resolving the glitch or the investors' views on our recovery strategy. This fostered a sense of collaboration and kept everyone engaged. When we finally resolved the glitch and got back on track, we celebrated this success and shared it with all stakeholders, bolstering morale and reinforcing their faith in the project. This approach transformed stakeholder communication from a challenge into an opportunity, contributing to our project's eventual success. ❗How Can I Help You? I'm Justin, a PhD and PMP holder with 21 years of project management experience, mentoring Fortune 500 teams. I've trained 4,000+ professionals, and now I focus on helping project managers in swiftly advancing their skills to enhance their career trajectories, surpass competitors, and evolve their project skills into becoming highly desirable leaders. 👇 Join my upcoming cohort for using ChatGPT for Project Management! lnkd.in/dmA-dNjS #business #management #projectmanagement #innovation #operationsmanagement