Difficult stakeholders are part and parcel of every project. As a project manager we should be able to navigate these challenges. I would use following approach to tackle this 1. Set priorities of the request by grouping them to must have, good to have , nice to have etc 2. Against each requirements, quickly give a rough estimate of its impact on timeline and budget. Visualising the impact using a trade-off curve will help better 3. Keep the stakeholders informed of the project updates. Keep them in loop when prioritising so that we have their buy in 4. And finally, be firm when necessary. Sometimes, it's important to say no. Be diplomatic but assertive in explaining why certain requests cannot be accommodated at the moment.

Alignment of features requested to the end goal of the project is very important. If many features are being requested while the project is running on a thin line from being delayed, it is important to stop and reflect on all the requested features and if they can be implemented now, can they be done in a later phase? if yes, the same should be informed and planned in the next upcoming phase of implementation.

In my experience, we should use a) Frameworks like MoSCoW and RICE to bring out the prioritization and selection criteria for the features. b) Ensure the priority aligns with product roadmap and is transparent to all stakeholders. c) Conduct regular stakeholder meetings to gather feedback, refine Product backlogs and highlight about how certain continuous changes will slow down the delivery of key features. d) One thing which I have found helpful is to negotiate and offer stakeholders trade-offs and use data driven insights to ensure more value-added features are added first. This will help to build strong relationships with stakeholders thereby bringing transparency, alignment and help you in manage feature requests more effectively.

I never dismiss ideas outright. Instead, I first strive to understand the client’s perspective and the motive behind each request. The initial step is evaluating how well the request aligns with our project's vision and goals. About 50% of these requests typically don't match our vision, making it straightforward to explain why we can't pursue them. For those that do align, I prioritize them based on their impact and urgency, maintaining open and transparent communication with the client throughout the process. This method ensures that we focus on what truly benefits the project.

In my experience, feature requests require clear prioritization. Use frameworks like RICE or ICE to weigh impact vs effort and align requests with business goals. Maintain open communication, explain trade-offs, and ensure transparency to build trust and keep the project on track.