Avoiding the Pitfalls of Static Stakeholder Relationships

We’ve all been there as project leaders—glowing in the warmth of freshly established relationships with key stakeholders. Everything feels aligned. The project is humming along, the stakeholders are on board, and the communication lines are open.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking, Great! We’ve built the relationships we need, now let’s just focus on execution. But here’s where I’ve seen even seasoned project managers, myself included, run headlong into a brick wall: the assumption that once stakeholder relationships are established, they’ll remain steady.

Complacency in relationship management doesn’t just lead to a disengaged stakeholder here or a minor conflict there—it can blow up entire strategies.

It’s a dangerous overconfidence, one that leads to complacency and, ultimately, jeopardizes the project. Stakeholder relationships are not static. Projects are dynamic beasts.

They evolve, shift, and grow—and so do the interests, priorities, and power dynamics of the people involved.

The Complacency Factor

Too many of us underestimate this fluidity, and it’s costing projects, and teams, dearly. We’re so focused on timelines, budgets, and deliverables that we forget the human factor is constantly in flux.

It’s like getting comfortable on a sinking boat just because the weather was nice when you set sail. Trust me, you’re going to want to keep an eye on those waters.

I once worked on a mid-sized digital transformation project where, at the outset, I had an excellent rapport with the project’s key sponsor. We were on the same page about the vision, the budget, and the deliverables.

For months, everything went smoothly. Then, out of nowhere, the sponsor began questioning every decision and asking for weekly reports that never used to matter. My first reaction? Frustration.

Turns out, there was a political shift within the organization—new executives, new priorities. My sponsor, who once had the autonomy to greenlight decisions, now had to answer to a more skeptical upper management.

I had become overconfident in our established relationship and missed the subtle signals that the ground was shifting beneath me. Had I been paying closer attention, I could’ve adjusted our communications earlier, saving weeks of tension and additional work.

But I hadn’t recalibrated, and it set us back.

Why It’s Overlooked

Research supports this dynamic complexity. A study by PMI (Project Management Institute) showed that nearly 80% of projects involving multiple stakeholders fail due to poor stakeholder management, particularly when project leaders assume that established relationships will remain stable over time.

The problem isn’t just failure to build relationships; it’s the false sense of security that comes with thinking those relationships don’t need ongoing care.

Why do we fall into this trap so often? It’s simple: we’re busy. Between juggling team dynamics, deliverables, and the hundred other moving parts of a project, maintaining relationships tends to slip down the list.

Once we’ve earned trust and buy-in, it feels like we can move on and let those relationships run on autopilot. But that’s a short-sighted view.

And it’s not just that we’re busy—we’re also trained to focus on measurable outputs. Relationships, by contrast, are seen as a soft skill, harder to quantify and track, so we push them to the background.

It’s an oversight we can’t afford. Complacency in relationship management doesn’t just lead to a disengaged stakeholder here or a minor conflict there.

It can blow up entire strategies. Stakeholder disengagement leads to delayed decision-making, misaligned priorities, and even active resistance. And that’s if you’re lucky.

In the worst cases, it leads to a total collapse in support, and you’re left standing in the wreckage of what was once a promising project, wondering how you missed the signs.

Recalibrating Relationships in Real Time

The solution? It’s not complicated, but it does require a mindset shift. We need to stop treating stakeholder relationships like boxes to check off during the planning phase.

Just like we monitor project performance metrics, we need to keep a pulse on our key relationships. Is there a change in stakeholder behavior? New power dynamics in the organization? Have project risks shifted?

All these factors should trigger us to recalibrate how we engage with stakeholders.

And I’ll add this: it’s not just about the obvious players, like sponsors and decision-makers. Don’t forget the hidden influencers—the people who aren’t in your regular meetings but have sway over those who are.

These are the stakeholders whose shifting interests you really can’t afford to miss.

Next Steps: How to Stay Ahead

Here’s how we can avoid the trap of overconfidence and keep relationships from derailing our projects:

• Regular Relationship Audits: Schedule periodic check-ins, not just on deliverables but on the stakeholder landscape. Has anything shifted in their role, priorities, or influence?
• Adapt Communication Styles: As power dynamics change, so should your communication approach. A stakeholder who felt comfortable with high-level updates before may now need more granular data—or vice versa.
• Watch for Subtle Signals: Behavior changes like increased email volume, new requests for data, or a sudden lack of engagement are all red flags that something is shifting.
• Engage the Hidden Influencers: Identify and engage those behind-the-scenes players whose opinions matter but might not always be visible. Keep them in the loop.
• Reassess Stakeholder Priorities: Periodically realign your project’s goals with stakeholder priorities to ensure they still match. What mattered six months ago may not matter now.

Managing relationships isn’t just about maintaining the status quo. It’s about staying ahead of the curve, anticipating shifts, and recalibrating before problems arise.

Fail to do that, and you might find yourself steering a project without any real support—and trust me, no one wants to be left holding the wheel when the ship is sinking.

Ciao my friend!

About Author

Dantes Lahens is a seasoned management consultant and expert in project leadership, specializing in strategic influence and decisive execution. He is dedicated to helping project professionals elevate their leadership skills, navigate complex stakeholder dynamics, and drive impactful project outcomes aligned with organizational goals. Through his work, Dantes empowers professionals to lead with purpose, agility, and measurable impact.

Learn more at www.danteslahens.com