You're facing conflicting stakeholder demands and scope creep. How will you prioritize and stay on track?

1. Call an operational committee meeting and list the demands of stakeholders. Evaluate the demands on iron triangle and other competing constraints. 2. Call for a joint stakeholder meeting to discuss the report prepared listing how each requirement will impact the overall project health focusing pros/cons. 3. As a joint decision, drill down to few key requirements which aren’t having severe impacts and can be handled as part of change management instead of being called as scope creeps.Prepare a change log. 4. Present it to steering committee focusing on how these changes will impact the project positively with/without any major adjustments to timelines or our laid out roadmap.Create a win-win situation for all and seek approval. Apply it

Evaluate the impact of each conflicting demand on the project’s scope, timeline, and resources. Determine which requests align with the project's goals and which could potentially derail progress.

First, there is conflict because people need to understand each other. The main focus is to listen to the customer first and then understand the requirements so you can see if there is any compliance or legislation that makes it practically impossible. At this particular time, we need to granulate the actions step by step, and soon, we will all be working together towards the same goal. Most of the time, there is a misunderstanding between the parts; clarify calmly and tranquilly.

Have the organization’s goals in mind. Begin by evaluating how each conflicting demand affects project objectives. Prioritize requests that align closely with your strategic goals and have the potential to deliver significant value to stakeholders.

When mate with conflicting demands, always go back to the objectives and goals independently and see how the changes impact what you want to achieve at the end of the project. Moreover, working on an open ended discussion is essential for understanding why they can be mate or not.

I can't remember who said it...but this quote rings in my ears over the years.... "YOU need to get all the liars in the room to move forward". Now that I re-read it - it may not have the most positive connotations but it makes me smile each time I say it. What it is really getting at - is getting everyone...their opinions... their priorities out on the table. From there... it's about mutual understanding and priority setting. Whispers in the "hallways" about what is working... not working... needs ... can really de-rail the overall process of moving projects forward. The more there is transparency across shareholders... the more productive the team can be!

Involve stakeholders in discussions about their requests. Understand their priorities and concerns, and explain the implications of their demands on the overall project. This ensures their buy-in and helps manage expectations.

Often, when we explore the issue, we find that the root cause is a lack of conversation with the stakeholders. Clear communication is so important and can often resolve the problem. So, have you taken the step to bring your stakeholders together to discuss the conflicting demands? This simple action can make all the difference.

é importante reunir todas as partes interessadas para esclarecer as expectativas e discutir as demandas conflitantes. Isso ajuda na identifica??o de quais entregas s?o realmente críticas para o sucesso do projeto. Assim, a decis?o é tomada em conjunto e todos os stakeholders e a equipe do projeto ficam na “mesma página” e conhecem a fundo dos impactos do aumento do escopo proposto.

Who is beholden to whom. If the problem is yours, then work on it if that is your agreed mission. If the problem is not yours delegate to the responsible party. Have in your agreement terms and consequences for scope creep. Define how you will add amendments to the original contract and seek authorizaed approval for this work and payment authorization in advance of beginning the new tasks. Have in your terms who you are working for, who you report results to and who can assign you tasks. It is important this be done before work begins, then everyone agrees on the chains of authority.

3. Based on the impact assessment and stakeholder input, prioritize the requests. Focus on those that provide the most value or are critical to the project's success. Defer or reject lower-priority items to maintain focus.

Para come?ar, avaliaria as demandas em termos de impacto no projeto e nos objetivos da empresa. As tarefas de maior valor agregado ou que afetam diretamente os resultados seriam priorizadas. Uma ferramenta que utilizo bastante é Matriz de Eisenhower ou Princípio da Decis?o de Eisenhower, que é uma ferramenta de Gerenciamento de tempo. Esta ferramenta ajuda a dividir as tarefas em quatro categorias: as tarefas a fazer primeiro, as tarefas a agendar para mais tarde, as tarefas a delegar e as tarefas a excluir.

Stick to agreed priorities so that the project can be delivered. Develop a scoring system to assess the importance and urgency of each request. This structured approach helps you objectively determine which demands to address first, ensuring that critical issues are not overlooked.

Clearly define what is within the project scope and what is not. Reiterate these boundaries to stakeholders to prevent further scope creep and manage their expectations.

Sometimes it comes down to business and what’s in the contract is what is going to be delivered. Clearly define what is within the project's scope and what falls outside it. By establishing these boundaries upfront, you can manage expectations and reduce the likelihood of scope creep as new demands arise.

Maintain transparent and consistent communication with all stakeholders. Explain the reasons for prioritization decisions and how they affect the project. This helps in aligning everyone’s expectations and reduces conflicts.

é importante agendar reuni?es periódicas com os stakeholders para discutir o andamento do projeto, mudan?as no escopo, desafios e expectativas. Essas reuni?es garantem que todos estejam atualizados e possam discutir problemas ou preocupa??es abertamente. O envio de relatórios de status regulares também é importante para atualiza??es sobre o progresso, marcos alcan?ados, riscos identificados, e próximos passos.

Be prepared to adjust your approach as the project evolves. While sticking to the defined scope is crucial, flexibility in managing and negotiating changes can help accommodate valuable requests without compromising project integrity.

When facing conflicting stakeholder demands and scope creep, prioritize by aligning with the project's core objectives and business goals. Clearly define and document the project's scope, ensuring all stakeholders agree on it. Use a prioritization framework like MoSCoW to categorize features as Must-Have, Should-Have, Could-Have, or Won't-Have. Communicate regularly with stakeholders to manage expectations and address concerns. If new requests arise, assess their impact on timelines, resources, and the original scope, and consider trade-offs before accepting or deferring them to future phases to stay on track.

Se o aumento do escopo for inevitável, um passo importante é negociar os ajustes no cronograma, or?amento ou aloca??o de recursos com as partes interessadas, deixando claro o impacto das mudan?as. A utiliza??o de métodos ágeis, como Kanban ou Scrum, facilita a adapta??o rápida às mudan?as e a comunica??o clara com a equipe.