Agile is a budget. The stakeholders want everything. Your team cannot do everything.
Agile is walking rope tight. One moment, you help the team to achieve the enemy’s goal. Next, the stakeholders will fall with “Fast request” It can throw everything about balance.
If you decline, you risk frustrating them. If you say yes, you are the excess of the team and the leveling of quality.
It looks familiar?
If you are working in a graceful environment – especially as Ba, PM or Scrum Master – you know the exercises. You are constantly managing expectations, priorities for success, and let us be honest, and play Defense Against crawl. If you do not learn that StrategyEither:
It ends up “Yes.”Where every new request delays progress.
To be described as “inhibitor”Although you just keep things under control.
Nothing is great. But here is the good news: You can say no – without creating enemies or projects out.
The saying is not difficult, but the saying yes to everything is worse
Let’s face it: Nobody enjoys saying “no.” Especially the stakeholders who:
- I think everything Maximum.
- We believe that adding “one thing” is simple (spoiler: it is usually not.).
- You have driving breathing down their necks for delivery faster.
But this is the reality:
- Saying Yes to everything means The missing deadlines, the exhausted teams, and the enlarged product road map.
- Saying No wrong in a wrong way It makes people feel ignorant – or worse, they rise to their request to drive.
Your work is not. Refuse the ideas explicitly– It is l Its management strategically So the team remains focused on what really matters.
The correct way to respond (without looking like a road barrier)
Tactical framework: “ARO” method (Alignment, redirect, display)
Instead of the fair Stop requestsUse this Three steps approach To keep things positive and focus on solutions:
Alignment → Show you understand their request
Before you pay back, admit the request. Make the stakeholders feel that they hear.
“This is a great idea – I see how it can help [business goal]”
“I understand why this is important, and I know it will improve [specific use case]”
Why? Because people hate rejection. A little health verification Cut a long run In keeping the conversation fruitful.
Owner of an interest in one time Custom email template/update to an existing template In the middle of the enemy. Instead of closing it, I answered:
“Specializing the text makes the template more relevant and effective – I see the reason for the importance of this (alignment).”
“At the present time, we focus on completing the current tasks in the enemy, and adding this would delay this version (re -guidance).”
“But we can review this in refining accumulation and see where it fits better. (Show).”
They did not like the answer-but they understood the comparison, and this is what matters.
Re -guidance → The conversion focus on priorities and restrictions
Once they feel hearing, Gently direct the conversation to the team’s current obligations.
Instead of: “We don’t have time for that.”
Say: “Now, we are committed [priority feature]And adding this would pay this schedule. “
Or, if the driving is involved:
“I would like to explore this!
Why? because This converts the conversation to discussing priorities Instead of difficult rejection.
View → Look for a path forward (not hindering everything)
The stakeholders do not just want an answer – they want Options. Even if you are not able to say yes, offer The next reasonable step.
“We can look at this for the next enemy.”
“If we are overlooked [X]We may be able to put this in it. Is this an option? “
“We can make a lightweight version now and expand it later. Does this work?”
Why? Because this maintains the conversation cooperation Instead of fighting.
Dealing with hard stakeholders (because some will not take no answer)
Even if you use this approach, some stakeholders It will still back down. Here’s how to deal with the most common scenarios:
Screenplay 1: “I need this as soon as possible.”
Your response: “I hear you. Let’s take a look at the barters-what are you fine with the delay so that we can put this?”
Impose them to realize the effect of their request instead of assuming that it can be added.
I had a feature request to add/copy via an existing feature for a different set of users before launching the application. Instead of rejecting it, I asked:
“If we put priority for this, this means delaying the feature that your team requested in the last enemy race. Do you want to conduct this trade?”
Once they realize the effect, It retreated.
Screenplay 2: They go around you.
Your response: “I understand why this is important. Let’s include leadership so that we can determine how to set his priorities collectively.”
This keeps the conversation organized instead of turning it into a conflict.
Screenplay 3: They continue to change the requirements in the middle of printing.
Your response: “I get a priority shift, but once the enemy starts, any changes in the next enemy should be seen so that we do not disable the progress. Let’s line up this for accumulation.”
This enhances that Agile is an organized, not a request for a request during navigation.
Your play book to deal with stakeholders like a professional
Want to make these conversations easier? Select expectations before they become a problem.
Create a transparent road map→ If the stakeholders know what the planned, it is unlikely to request changes at the last minute.
Use data, not just words → Instead of “We don’t have time”, “ He says “This request will take about 4 weeks, which will go back [X]”
Make a priority to be a shared responsibility → If they want to add something, they should help determine what is cut.
Final ideas: a saying that is not related to the protection of value, not rejecting ideas
Six bass They are not believers-they are facilitated by a decision.
Your job does not say no – it’s to make sure that the right things are built in time.
The more strategy in these talks, the more respect you gain from both stakeholders and your team.
Saying no is not refusal – it is directing the stakeholders towards better decisions.
Your role:
I know that each Bachelor has a war story about returning to the request of the wild interest. What is for you? What are the most difficult “no” you had to deliver before? Let’s hear that in the comments!
