
๐ง๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐? ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒโ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐บ (๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ)
Every STEM leader has them.
The stakeholder who constantly shifts priorities.
The one who pokes holes in your data like itโs a competitive sport.
Or the one who replies to your well-thought-out proposal with: โHmm, Iโm just not feeling it.โ
๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ - ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐โ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น. So how do you work with them without going full passive-aggressive in a project update?
Start with curiosity over combat.
๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐ถ๐๐ฒ. Sometimes what feels like resistance is really fear, confusion, or their own pressure talking. Ask whatโs ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ their concerns.
๐ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ. You may be fluent in systems architecture, but they may only care about risk, timeline, or cost. Make your communication hit their priorities, not just yours.
๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ - ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ณ๐๐น๐น๐. Being collaborative doesnโt mean being a doormat. If scope creep is wrecking your timeline, itโs OK to say, โWe can add that, but it will push delivery by two weeks. Are we aligned on that?โ
๐ Donโt take it personally. Difficult doesnโt mean malicious. Theyโre likely under pressure too. Center yourself in facts, not frustration.
๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐, ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฏ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐. If somethingโs stuck, show youโve thought through options. This builds trust and positions you as a partner, not a problem.
And hereโs the truth: working well with difficult stakeholders isnโt just about keeping the peace. ๐๐โ๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ. When you can stay steady, empathetic, and effective under pressure, people notice.
๐๐น๐ฆ๐ค๐ถ๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฑ๐ด ๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ช๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ด๐ฆ๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ด๐ฌ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ท๐ช๐จ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ณ๐ช๐ค๐ฌ๐ช๐ฆ๐ด๐ต ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด - ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ค๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ. ๐๐ตโ๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ข๐ท๐ฐ๐ช๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด - ๐ช๐ตโ๐ด ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ.