Through open communication, collaboration, and a commitment to mutual success, stakeholders become and remain active participants in shaping the trajectory of the project or organizational change, leading to sustainable growth and positive outcomes for all involved.

Conflicting feedback can complicate a change project, but aligning stakeholders is possible with a structured approach. Start by identifying the key concerns behind their feedback to address root issues effectively. Facilitate discussions to find common ground and emphasize shared priorities. Transparent communication is essential—clearly explain decisions and the reasoning behind them, ensuring stakeholders feel heard and included. Regular updates can help maintain alignment and build trust throughout the process.

Accept the reality that, unfortunately, you can't make everybody happy. Hopefully, with engaged and active stakeholder engagement, you figured out who to pay attention to, drive value, and keep the project alive. Doesn't mean it's always the person with the biggest title. Sometimes the minor stakeholders have the loudest voices, this is a good thing, pay attention to that. Get good at what you do best, build a community approach at navigating the change initiative and don't lose sight of the outcome that you're driving. This scenario is the perfect example for you to really get good at your Adaptability Quotient 🫡. If this were easy, everyone would be doing it. Conflicting feedback comes with the territory, and can be a gift. Bring it on!

Au cours de mon expérience professionnelle, j'ai dû gérer des commentaires contradictoires dans un service R&D dans le cadre de la fusion de deux sociétés internationales de communication. La première action a été de réaliser un diagnostic flash du département où les middle managers ont exprimés les points de vue contradictoires entre eux et leurs points de vue contradictoires sur le top management. Ensuite il a fallu les amener à tirer les conclusions de leurs commentaires contradictoires mais aussi leur faire prendre conscience de la responsabilité de chacun dans les effets de ces commentaires. Enfin le diagnostic flash a débouché sur un plan d'action et la mise en place d'une interface pour mettre fin à ce type de commentaires.

To navigate conflicting feedback in a change project and satisfy stakeholders, focus on understanding priorities, fostering collaboration, and finding balanced solutions. Begin by actively listening to all perspectives, identifying common goals, and mapping out areas of alignment. Use data-driven insights to support decisions and facilitate constructive discussions to address disagreements. Clearly communicate compromises and the reasoning behind them, ensuring transparency throughout the process. Regularly update stakeholders on progress and involve them in evaluating outcomes, reinforcing their value and commitment to the project's success.