Stakeholder Conflict Management
Reasons for stakeholder conflicts on IT Projects
An IT Project is an exercise of change. Where-ever there is change there is challenge and conflict. Conflict happens because of differences in the world view of different stakeholders, their priorities, responsibilities and goals. Reasons for conflict can be due to
It's important to note that conflicts are normal in any project, and the Product Manager or Product Owner or Scrum Master has the role of helping the team and the stakeholders to understand each other's perspectives and find a resolution that works for everyone.
- Prioritisation: Stakeholders may have different priorities for the project, and may disagree on which features or requirements should be given the most attention. Say some stakeholders may prefer higher security compared to speed.
- Budget: Stakeholders may have different ideas about how much money should be allocated to the project and may disagree about how to allocate resources. A Chief Finance Officer may have different outlook towards budget allocation viz a viz an end user.
- Timeline: Stakeholders may have different expectations for how long the project will take, and may disagree on the schedule or deadlines. Some stakeholders may not have a realistic estimate on effort and time required for developing new features for a complex software system.
- Scope: Stakeholders may have different ideas about the scope of the project, and may disagree on what features or requirements should be included. Sometimes almost every stakeholder is ready with a list of new features which is expected from the system. Stakeholders may even try to show off their knowledge with their suggestions.
- Quality: Stakeholders may have different expectations for the quality of the final product, and may disagree on the standards or testing processes that should be used. What might be acceptable to some may not be the same for others.
- Risk: Stakeholders may have different opinions on the risks associated with the project, and may disagree on how to mitigate or manage those risks.
- Technical decisions: Stakeholders may have different opinions on the technical decisions of the project, and may disagree on how to approach certain technical challenges. Say a complex configurable design viz a viz simple less complex and less costly design.
- Decision making: Stakeholders may have different opinions on how decisions should be made, and may disagree on who should be making the decisions. Some times a few stake holders may wish to impose their decisions on every one else.
It's important to note that conflicts are normal in any project, and the Product Manager or Product Owner or Scrum Master has the role of helping the team and the stakeholders to understand each other's perspectives and find a resolution that works for everyone.
Understanding stakeholder conflict with an example.
A software product company is developing a new software application for their clients. The development team has been working on the project for several months, and they have completed several iterations of the product. However, stakeholders from the Sales department and the Marketing department have different ideas about how the application should be marketed and sold to the clients. The Sales department wants the application to be marketed as a stand-alone product, while the Marketing department wants it to be bundled with other products and services. The development team is caught in the middle, and they are not sure which approach to take.
Resolving Stakeholder Conflicts
Resolving Stakeholder Conflicts
In this scenario, either the the Product Manager or Product Owner or Scrum Master will have to facilitate a meeting between the stakeholders to understand the different perspectives and priorities of each department. They will also have to help the stakeholders to understand the impact of different approaches on the final product, and the development team's work. The Product Manager or Product owner or Scrum Master will also have to help the stakeholders to find a resolution that works for everyone, while ensuring that it aligns with the goals and objectives of the project.
Product Manager , Product owner, Scrum Master, Client Representatives should proactively communicate with each other to resolve current and potential conflicts.
Product Manager , Product owner, Scrum Master, Client Representatives should proactively communicate with each other to resolve current and potential conflicts.
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