Strategies to Address Resistant Stakeholders (Case Study Sample)

The Euro-Disney Project: Stakeholders Misunderstood?
Robert P Calabro
Columbia Southern University
Top 5 Stakeholder Groups
The top five stakeholder groups that would be identified include the following:
* Walt Disney Company
* Euro Disney S.C.A
* The government of France
* Architects and construction engineers
* French labor workers.
Categories Assigned
The stakeholder groups identified above are categorized into various categories, such as unaware, resistant, supportive, neutral, and leading. For instance, Walt Disney Company is classified as supportive. Euro Disney S.C.A is also categorized as supportive. The French government and labor workers are classified as resistant. Architects and construction engineers are classified as neutral (Spencer, 1995).
Strategies to Address Resistant Stakeholders
The resistant stakeholders include the French workers and the government. These can be addressed and managed by identifying and watching them closely. As a project manager, one should figure out what motivates these stakeholder groups. It is important to listen to what these stakeholders say. Communication channels should not be closed (Gareis, Huemann, Martinuzzi, Weninger, & Sedlacko, 2013). A project manager should identify where resistant stakeholders come from and put himself or herself in their shoes to better understand their motivations as well as goals. The project manager should try to understand the stakeholders' points of view. They need to assess whether or not the stakeholder needs aligns perfectly with the goals of the project. The project manager should manage and address stakeholders in a way that makes them feel that they matter a lot. For instance, one should treat them with respect, even when tempers rise. Positive behavior should also be accompanied by praise and recognition. Training and coaching should also be offered to every stakeholder involved in the project. People should also be given opportunities to share their insights as well as opinions with the project team and assist in decision making (Gareis, Huemann, Martinuzzi, Weninger, & Sedlacko, 2013).
The project manager would also need to establish an individual relationship with the resistant stakeholders. He or she should make stakeholders feel that they are cared for not as stakeholders but as people. The project manager, therefore, should consider establishing a relationship with these key stakeholders outside of that specific project’s context to show them that they are valuable. This helps build trust, promote more conversations and reduce resistance (Gareis, Huemann, Martinuzzi, Weninger, & Sedlacko, 2013).