Last updated on Mar 24, 2025

You're facing a stakeholder's urgent project request. How do you prioritize effectively in this situation?

When a stakeholder comes to you with an urgent project request, it can throw a wrench into your well-planned schedule. As a business manager, you're tasked with prioritizing effectively to keep all projects on track while addressing the new demand. It's a balancing act that requires a strategic approach to ensure that resources are allocated efficiently and stakeholder satisfaction is maintained.

1 Assess Impact

Begin by evaluating the impact of the stakeholder's request on the overall business objectives. Consider how this project aligns with your company's strategic goals and the potential benefits or drawbacks it could bring. If the project could significantly advance your business interests or if the stakeholder has considerable influence, it may warrant higher priority. However, it's crucial to weigh this against the current workload and commitments to avoid overextending resources.

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Ricardo Chang

Strategic Business Manager│Business Development │Sales & Commercial │ B2B & B2C │ Disruptive Innovator
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Primero, evalúa la urgencia real y el impacto del proyecto en tus objetivos estratégicos. Si es crítico, reasigna recursos y ajusta plazos de otros proyectos, comunicando de forma transparente con todas las partes involucradas. Luego, establece un sistema de prioridades claras. Usa herramientas de gestión para organizar tareas y mantén un monitoreo constante. ¡La planificación ágil es tu mejor aliada para cumplir sin comprometer la calidad!

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Lee Provost

Empowering Asset Managers 🌍 | Software Solutions Expert 🧑💻 | Tech Enthusiast 💻 | Innovator 💡
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When faced with a stakeholder's urgent request, start by assessing the project's impact, urgency, and alignment with business goals. Communicate openly with the stakeholder to understand the reasoning behind the urgency. Then, review current priorities and resources to determine if tasks can be reallocated or timelines adjusted. Collaborate with your team to evaluate trade-offs and potential risks. Transparency is key—provide a clear rationale for your decisions and, if possible, offer a phased or MVP approach to meet immediate needs without compromising overall priorities.

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Anthony Gorman

Director at Wyman Bain
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To tackle this, I'd quickly gauge the request's importance against our goals. I'd then communicate clearly with the stakeholder about timelines. We'd focus on key tasks, use team skills wisely, delegate where possible, and stay flexible to deliver quality results on time.

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2 Evaluate Resources

Next, take stock of the resources you have available, including team members, budget, and time. Determine if you can accommodate the new request without jeopardizing existing projects. If resources are tight, you might need to negotiate deadlines or seek additional support. Remember, saying yes to one project often means saying no, or not yet, to another, so be realistic about what your team can handle.

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Vipin Pandey

Leadership Enthusiast | Crafting Content for Emerging Leaders & Professionals | US Insurance | Service Delivery Manager | AIC |
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Here are my recommendations: 1. Assess team capacity – Ensure workloads remain balanced. 2. Review budget & tools – Confirm financial and technical feasibility. 3. Identify potential trade-offs – Weigh impact on existing projects. 4. Negotiate timelines if needed – Set realistic expectations. 5. Seek additional support – Delegate or reallocate resources effectively.

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3 Prioritize Tasks

Once you've assessed the impact and evaluated your resources, prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance. Use a prioritization matrix to categorize tasks into four quadrants: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. The stakeholder's request will likely fall into one of the first two categories, which should be addressed first.

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4 Communicate Clearly

Clear communication with your stakeholder is essential. Explain your prioritization process and how their request fits into it. Be transparent about any constraints and set realistic expectations for delivery. It's better to be upfront about what can be achieved than to overpromise and underdeliver. Your stakeholder will appreciate the honesty and clarity.

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5 Monitor Progress

Implement a system to monitor the progress of the new project alongside ongoing work. Regular check-ins and updates will help you stay on top of any shifts in priorities or resource availability. This proactive approach allows you to adjust plans as needed and ensures that all projects, including the urgent request, are moving forward effectively.

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6 Adjust as Needed

Finally, be prepared to adjust your plans as the situation evolves. Business priorities can change rapidly, and what was urgent yesterday may not be as critical today. Stay flexible and ready to reallocate resources if necessary to meet the shifting demands of your stakeholders and the market.

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You're facing a stakeholder's urgent project request. How do you prioritize effectively in this situation?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Assess Impact

2 Evaluate Resources

3 Prioritize Tasks

4 Communicate Clearly

5 Monitor Progress

6 Adjust as Needed

Business Management

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You're facing a stakeholder's urgent project request. How do you prioritize effectively in this situation?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Assess Impact

2 Evaluate Resources

3 Prioritize Tasks

4 Communicate Clearly

5 Monitor Progress

6 Adjust as Needed

Business Management

Rate this article

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