Project Management

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How do project managers separate valuable feedback from noise?

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Srikana Ray
Community Champion
Project Professional, PMP

As project managers, we often receive feedback, concerns and opinions from multiple stakeholders and senior leaders. While this input can be valuable, not every concern necessarily requires a change to the project plan or priorities. Sometimes feedback may be driven by uncertainty, assumptions or fear rather than actual project risks.

How do you determine which feedback is relevant and actionable versus what can simply be acknowledged and monitored? Are there any frameworks, questions or criteria you use to prioritize stakeholder feedback while keeping the project aligned with its objectives, scope, risks and priorities?

I am interested to hear how other project managers handle this, especially when senior stakeholders have strong opinions that may not align with the project data or agreed objectives.

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Lissette Indhira Pimentel Sosa
Community Champion
Program Manager| HARPER SRL Santo Domingo / Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
I usually look at what the feedback could affect: scope, objectives, risks, dependencies, or the expected outcome. I also try to understand what is behind the concern and whether there is evidence or new information that we may not have considered.
Not every comment needs to result in a change, but I wouldn’t dismiss it only because it doesn’t match the current project data. Sometimes stakeholder concerns are an early signal of something we haven’t identified yet.
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1 reply by Srikana Ray
Oct 13, 2026 6:38 PM
Srikana Ray
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Thank you for sharing your insights.
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Akin Fadare
Community Champion
Ontario, Canada
Today, there is a lot of noise, especially when a project is massive and involves many internal and external stakeholders. I would prioritize feedback based on the risk posed to project objectives, using my stakeholder register as a reference. Feedback from the VP might have a greater impact on the organization's strategic objectives than feedback from the Janitor. Both are welcome and risk-managed with potential responses, but not with the same urgency. Thanks for asking this question.
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1 reply by Srikana Ray
Oct 13, 2026 6:39 PM
Srikana Ray
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I agree, thank you for sharing your perspective and insights.
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Srikana Ray
Community Champion
Project Professional, PMP
Oct 07, 2026 10:50 AM
Replying to Lissette Indhira Pimentel Sosa
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I usually look at what the feedback could affect: scope, objectives, risks, dependencies, or the expected outcome. I also try to understand what is behind the concern and whether there is evidence or new information that we may not have considered.
Not every comment needs to result in a change, but I wouldn’t dismiss it only because it doesn’t match the current project data. Sometimes stakeholder concerns are an early signal of something we haven’t identified yet.
Thank you for sharing your insights.
avatar
Srikana Ray
Community Champion
Project Professional, PMP
Oct 07, 2026 5:50 PM
Replying to Akin Fadare
...
Today, there is a lot of noise, especially when a project is massive and involves many internal and external stakeholders. I would prioritize feedback based on the risk posed to project objectives, using my stakeholder register as a reference. Feedback from the VP might have a greater impact on the organization's strategic objectives than feedback from the Janitor. Both are welcome and risk-managed with potential responses, but not with the same urgency. Thanks for asking this question.
I agree, thank you for sharing your perspective and insights.
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Verónica Elizabeth Pozo Ruiz RYLAI Access Control Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
The Project Manager should have the discernment to identify which criteria are valuable and what information can be discarded. Stakeholder matrix of power-interest can also be used as a tool to classify interested parts and be a clue of what commentaries emitted by each class can be considered or not considered for the project's actions.
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1 reply by Srikana Ray
Oct 21, 2026 9:25 PM
Srikana Ray
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I agree, thank you for sharing your perspective.
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Srikana Ray
Community Champion
Project Professional, PMP
Oct 20, 2026 12:28 PM
Replying to Verónica Elizabeth Pozo Ruiz
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The Project Manager should have the discernment to identify which criteria are valuable and what information can be discarded. Stakeholder matrix of power-interest can also be used as a tool to classify interested parts and be a clue of what commentaries emitted by each class can be considered or not considered for the project's actions.
I agree, thank you for sharing your perspective.

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