It is imperative for me to do all of the above while steering my project to fruition alongside keeping all stakeholders happy. However at the stage of conceptualisation itself it is vital to take the project, the action you’re going to take, keeping the outcome in mind, backed with data to your stakeholders. If you fully research the plan and execute you won’t face any roadblocks such as convincing people, let alone them being hindrances.

To overcome stakeholder resistance and keep a project on track, actively listen to source of resistance, clarify the project’s strategic value, and present data-driven evidence. Involve stakeholders in decision-making, focus on early wins, and maintain transparent, tailored communication. Build relationships and manage expectations realistically.

Some things I have learned are 1) identify potential problem stakeholders early 2) coach them in what can be realistically achieved 3) validate their concerns and feelings 4) negotiate what can and can’t be done 5) always be realistic about what you can achieve 6) if they can win a couple of small points they are more likely to toe the line over the big stuff

There is not a one size fits all answer to this. It depends on the project, your role, and the criticality it has to the organisation. Establish whether the stakeholders are aligned and accountable to the success of the project, or purely a recipient of the change. If the latter, this may require both a collaborative, but top down approach to delivering the change successfully, and driving the right levels of focus and accountability. Secondly, establish the true root cause for the resistance. Understanding this will enable you to work out the best solutions to overcome, listen, and empathise with the stakeholder, ensure clear and consistent communication and mitigate any potential downstream impacts.

To keep a project on track despite stakeholder resistance, consider these steps: Understand the Resistance: Identify the root causes/ concerns Engage and Listen: Proactively involve and hear out stakeholders Communicate Clearly: Share goals, benefits, and progress tailored to their interests Highlight Benefits: Emphasize value and impact Leverage Influencers: Secure buy-in from key figures to influence others Collaborate: Co-create solutions to increase stakeholder investment. Show Quick Wins: Deliver early successes to build confidence Escalate if Needed: Involve leadership to overcome major hurdles. Set Clear Expectations: Define roles and responsibilities for accountability.

The first thing to acknowledge is the information asymmetry that exists between the different categories of stakeholders. The importance of strategic communication is also overlooked across several initiatives in different sectors. Defining a key communication strategy with a clear vision regarding internal and external communication is hence, a foundation pillar! Happy to discuss more!

Short answer is, get to the root cause of the resistance. Most cases, resistance occurs due to a mismatch in priorities of the project with that of the key stakeholders. If you are able to find the common ground where the priorities are aligned, that is a good starting point. From there on, it is about aligning the priorities, open communication and giving the stakeholders ownership and accountability for the success of the project.

Resistance in transformative projects should always be expected. Identifying what is important to key stakeholders (“what’s in it for me”) enables one to strategize the best approach to gain their support and stay on track. Lessons learned from previous projects, combined with the tacit knowledge of project team members, can help accelerate this process.