Could you tell me a time when your project was heavily contested by multiple powerful stakeholders?

Question

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I was leading a project to implement a new cost-saving initiative in a large
organization. The initiative involves significant changes to existing processes,
including restructuring teams, implementing new technologies, and reducing
overhead costs. However, the proposed changes are met with strong opposition
from multiple powerful stakeholders within the organization.
Here's how I might handle this situation:
 1. Stakeholder Analysis: Conduct a thorough analysis to understand the concerns
    and motivations of the powerful stakeholders opposing the project. Identify
    their specific objections, interests, and potential areas of compromise.
 2. Engagement and Communication: Develop a comprehensive communication strategy
    to engage with the powerful stakeholders and address their concerns
    proactively. Schedule one-on-one meetings to listen to their perspectives,
    clarify misconceptions, and provide reassurances about the project's
    objectives and benefits.
 3. Building a Coalition: Identify other stakeholders who support the project or
    have shared interests with the powerful stakeholders. Work to build a
    coalition of allies who can advocate for the project and help overcome
    opposition. Leverage influential leaders and opinion-makers to rally support
    and build momentum for the initiative.
 4. Addressing Concerns: Tailor the project plan and implementation approach to
    address the specific concerns raised by the powerful stakeholders. Explore
    alternative solutions, compromises, or mitigation strategies to accommodate
    their interests while still advancing the project objectives.
 5. Managing Resistance: Anticipate and address resistance from the powerful
    stakeholders through proactive change management strategies. Offer
    transparency, engage in dialogue, and provide opportunities for
    participation and input to mitigate opposition and build trust.
 6. Negotiation and Compromise: Be willing to negotiate and compromise on
    certain aspects of the project to gain support from the powerful
    stakeholders. Seek win-win solutions that address their concerns without
    compromising the overall project goals and objectives.
 7. Escalation if Necessary: If efforts to engage and address the concerns of
    the powerful stakeholders are unsuccessful, be prepared to escalate the
    issue to higher levels of management or seek mediation from neutral parties
    to facilitate resolution.
 8. Persistence and Resilience: Maintain a positive attitude and persistence in
    advocating for the project despite opposition. Stay focused on the long-term
    benefits and positive outcomes of the initiative, and remain resilient in
    the face of challenges and setbacks.

By effectively engaging with and addressing the concerns of powerful
stakeholders, I can navigate opposition and gain support for the project,
ultimately driving successful implementation and achieving the desired outcomes.

Anonymous · Answer

During a digital transformation initiative at a major financial institution, I
led a project to implement a new customer relationship management (CRM) system.
The project faced significant opposition from several senior executives who were
deeply invested in the existing system and skeptical about the proposed changes.
They feared the transition would disrupt operations and negatively impact
customer service.
To address their concerns, I organized a series of workshops to demonstrate the
benefits of the new CRM, highlighting improved efficiency, better customer
insights, and long-term cost savings. I also gathered input from their teams to
ensure the system met their needs. Through transparent communication, regular
updates, and incorporating stakeholder feedback, I gradually built trust and
support.
Ultimately, the project was successfully implemented, leading to a 20% increase
in customer satisfaction and a 15% reduction in operational costs within the
first year, demonstrating the value of the new system.

Anonymous · Answer

In my current organization, we integrate Analytics with various source teams,
 As a PM of Analytics, i should focus on Global compatibility when i implement a
feature, which can be compatible to all the SORs. 
We have one particular source system who asked for a specific requirement of
profile filters, which when applied, its applicable to whole SOR, which inturn
is expected to be applied automatically to the Analytics warehouse

Goal here is to apply the new feature of the source system to the downstream
application analytics.

I have had multiple discussions with the SOR and my analytics technical team and
identified that, we do have some technical complexities to implement profile
filters to analytics, this might impact other SORs. Work around for the current
release, can be to push the notification to analytics application to apply the
global filters in analytics again manually, and we can address this in next
release, as this needs to be handled for that SOR specifically.

We had multiple discussions with the leaders of the SOR on the user satisfaction
and the priority of the profile filters, but at the same time i presented the
data of number of users that will be impacted from other source systems other
than the one we will focus on, which might lead to drop of CSAT of other source
systems

After presenting the data, the leaders were ok with the workaround i have
suggested, and for the next release, we have separated user profile dimension
for that particular sor and implemented the feature as requested.

Anonymous · Answer

In a previous role, we were in the midst of a critical project and the CMO came
in wanting significant changes to the user interface just a few weeks before the
scheduled release.
(Problem)
These changes were substantial and would require a significant amount of
development time, potentially delaying the project. Additionally, these
alterations contradicted the initial requirements and design that had been
agreed upon after extensive discussions and planning.
(Solution)
When trying to align stakeholders, I tend to follow a framework of Engage,
Negotiate, Confirm.
So, first I Engaged: I organized a meeting with the CMO, the project managers,
and the development team. During the meeting, I attentively listened to the
stakeholder's requirements and concerns, ensuring they felt heard and
understood.
I then started the Negotiation phase: I presented a detailed analysis of the
potential impact of these changes on the project timeline and the alignment with
the agreed-upon project goals.
I proposed a compromise where we could integrate a small portion of the
requested changes in the current release while planning for a subsequent update
to fully implement the rest. This way, we could meet the marketing department's
immediate needs without jeopardizing the project timeline.
After a thorough discussion and negotiation, we reached an agreement to proceed
with the compromise. To Confirm, I outlined the points agreed in an email to
everyone after the meeting to make sure there were no misunderstandings.
(Impact)
The CMO appreciated the team's dedication to finding a middle ground and
prioritizing project goals. We were able to complete the project within the
deadline while maintaining our good relationship with the marketing team.
(Lessons)
This was a really useful experience for me, as it taught me how important
negotiation can be when trying to lead a big project that affects various teams.
I also realised how important it is to listen properly to people who disagree
with you - at first I'd thought the CMO's requests were totally unecessary but
when I took the extra time to really understand her perspective, I could see
they some sense.
I also learned that when you agree something verbally in a meeting, share it in
written form afterwards, because people tend to have contrasting memories of
what was agreed!

Could you tell me a time when your project was heavily contested by multiple powerful stakeholders?

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