Dealing With Difficult Stakeholders

Reminder: Don't Burn Bridges

The most important thing to remember is that stakeholders also want the project to succeed. However,
the way they express this desire may change over the course of the project. One day they'll support you,
and the next day they'll argue if work isn't done a particular way. But they’re not "switching sides"—
their side is project success. It’s not you vs. them.

Don't take resistance personally and remember: Business is business. Burning bridges is detrimental to
career success. You can’t dismiss difficult stakeholders. You must find a way to work with them (or
around them) and defuse the situation.

Even if my tasks seemed unachievable, I would buckle down and figure out the best approach to
completing the tasks. I would start by organizing the tasks from most important to least, and then I
would begin working on the most important task. If there were any tasks I could delegate to other
capable individuals, I would not be afraid to ask for assistance