Blog for Engineering Managers

Blog for Engineering Managers

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Blog for Engineering Managers
You have too many stakeholders and they all want different things
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You have too many stakeholders and they all want different things

What would you do?

Stephane Moreau's avatar
Stephane Moreau
Mar 30, 2025
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Blog for Engineering Managers
Blog for Engineering Managers
You have too many stakeholders and they all want different things
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Your phone buzzes. It’s Slack again and it's 8:30 PM. The fourth "urgent" message tonight.

"Just checking if we're still on track for that analytics dashboard? The board meeting is next Friday."

You stare at the screen, feeling stressed. This makes six different stakeholders who've reached out today alone, each convinced their request deserves top priority.

  • The VP of Sales needs the mobile app update.

  • The CFO wants cost-cutting features implemented.

  • The Head of Product is pushing for that new user experience.

  • Customer Success is escalating client demands.

  • Legal is waiting on compliance changes.

  • And now, the CEO wants that dashboard for the board.

Your team is stretched thin. You have limited people in your team. And everyone believes their request is the most important.

Something will have to give. But what? And who will you disappoint?

Outline

- πŸ”’ The stakeholder nightmare
- πŸ”’ 4 potential options
- πŸ”’ Breaking down the options
- πŸ”’ The truth about stakeholder management
- πŸ”’ What I would do in this situation
- πŸ”’ Key takeaways
- πŸ”’ Some useful links from me


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