Stakeholder Influence

Correct Answer: Discuss, negotiate realistic timelines and explain the potential long-term impacts of compromising quality.

The best course of action in this scenario would be to 'Discuss, negotiate realistic timelines and explain the potential long-term impacts of compromising quality'. This approach shows a proactive consideration of stakeholder interests and dedication to the project's success. It ensures that quality, which is paramount for the project's long-term success, is not compromised. Importantly, it creates a platform for all parties involved to negotiate and agree on a more realistic timeline that does not jeopardize quality. 'Comply with stakeholders and compromise on quality' is not the best approach as compromising quality could lead to long-term issues, despite seemingly solving the immediate problem of meeting the deadline. 'Threaten to escalate the issue to higher management if they continue to put pressure' would most likely strain relationships with stakeholders, and it's not a collaborative problem-solving approach. 'Resigning from the project due to the pressure' is also not a suitable solution, as it does nothing to solve the underlying issue and could be seen as an act of giving up. The problem could still persist even with a new project manager.

Correct Answer: Facilitate a decision-making meeting with all stakeholders present to discuss the feature and its ramifications

The best action in such a scenario, as specified by the Agile principles, is not to ignore the request, immediately start working on the new feature or delay other tasks but rather to facilitate a decision-making meeting with all stakeholders present to discuss the new feature and its ramifications. This allows all parties to have a clear understanding of what the feature entails and how its inclusion will impact the project scope, timeline, and resources. Ignoring the request doesn't build a good client relationship, while immediately working on the feature or delaying other tasks can negatively impact the team's productivity and the project's timeline.

Correct Answer: Hold a stakeholder meeting to re-clarify the project objectives and manage expectations

In a project management scenario, especially when following Agile principles, maintaining clear communication and fostering a shared understanding of project objectives is crucial. If a stakeholder is exerting undue influence and causing the project to drift from its objectives, the best course of action is to hold a stakeholder meeting to re-clarify the project objectives and manage expectations. This approach helps realign everyone with the project's goals and provides the opportunity to address concerns or conflicting interests in a constructive manner. The option of allowing the stakeholder to change the project objectives simply because of their high influence can lead to project failure, as it does not consider the overarching strategic goals of the project. Ignoring the changes and keeping the project on its original path may worsen the situation by increasing conflict and misunderstanding. Finally, complaining about the stakeholder to your team is unprofessional and does nothing to address the underlying problem. It can instead fuel further resentment and misunderstanding.