You're facing resistance from project sponsors on scope changes. How will you navigate this negotiation?

When facing pushback - ask yourself: Am I really taking the time to understand the needs, constraints and priorities of the sponsor/other party? Active listening is an important skill to develop. It's also very different to: - just hearing - waiting for your turn to speak - looking for something they've said that suits you or suits a proposal you've prepared Active listening requires presence of mind, pausing the urge to jump in and being interested in learning what matters to the other party. Active listening will really help you to develop long term relationships and crucially you will discover information that enables you to shape a credible and realistic proposal!

Understand Concerns Active Listening: Start by actively listening to the sponsors' concerns. They may be worried about budget overruns, time delays, or the impact on other initiatives. For example, in a project to expand an artist's tour, sponsors were concerned about additional costs and logistical challenges. By listening and empathizing, I was able to fully understand their perspective. Empathize and Acknowledge: Show empathy for their position and acknowledge their concerns. This establishes a foundation of trust and shows that you value their input. During a rebranding project, acknowledging the sponsor's fear of disrupting brand consistency helped me gain their trust and opened the door for more productive discussions.

Align with Their Interests & Objectives: Frame the scope change in a way that aligns with the sponsors' interests. Explain how these changes will contribute to the overall success of the project and benefit the organization. In a media campaign, I demonstrated how additional creative elements would increase audience engagement and ROI, aligning with the sponsors' goals. Highlight Long-term Benefits: Emphasize the long-term benefits of the proposed changes. Show how they can lead to improved outcomes that outweigh the initial concerns. For instance, when proposing additional features in a software development project, I highlighted how these features would enhance user experience and drive long-term customer retention via a CPM usage.

Collaborate and Co-create a Plan: Involve the sponsors in creating a revised plan that incorporates the scope changes. This collaborative approach ensures their buy-in and makes them feel part of the decision-making process. For a large-scale media production, working closely with sponsors to adjust the production schedule and budget resulted in a mutually agreeable blueprint, while also allowing for creative engagement. Set Clear Expectations: Clearly communicate the expectations and outline the steps to manage any potential risks associated with the changes. During a project to launch a branded partnership, I set clear milestones and contingency plans, which helped reassure the sponsors about managing uncertainties.