The Stakeholder Circus: Managing Expectations When Everyone Wants Something Different

Samuel Parri

Trainer and Consultant

IIL

About the Presentation

In many projects, the schedule is not the hardest part—people are. Sponsors push for speed, users want more features, Finance focuses on cost, Operations demands stability, and the project team needs clear decisions and room to execute.

This session takes a humorous but highly practical look at stakeholder management when every group defines success differently. Through real-world situations, attendees will learn how to surface conflicting expectations early, negotiate priorities without creating new friction, and communicate in ways that build trust across competing interests. The result is a practical, engaging session with tools you can apply immediately—especially when priorities are pulling you in multiple directions.

Key Takeaways:

Identify stakeholder expectations before they become project problems. Learn how to uncover hidden assumptions, conflicting priorities, and expectation gaps early—before they become confusion, resistance, or escalation.
Manage competing demands without losing trust or momentum. Gain practical communication and negotiation techniques to balance stakeholder needs, clarifying tradeoffs, and guide decisions when priorities conflict.
Turn difficult stakeholders into stronger allies. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for reducing tension, building credibility, and strengthening alignment across diverse stakeholders in today’s volatile, dynamic business environment.

About Samuel Parri

Samuel Parri is an accomplished Customer Success Leader and Program Management Professional with a proven success record serving customers worldwide by providing extraordinary value to drive success. He is known for improving people, process, tools, onboarding, and customer satisfaction.

Samuel brings his project and client-facing experience to one of the most difficult parts of the job: managing expectations. His presentations help audiences communicate more clearly, influence more effectively, and navigate competing stakeholder demands with both professionalism and good humor.

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