CAPM Practice: Determine how to conduct stakeholder communication

Resistance usually signals an unmet concern. BAs should seek to understand what drives the opposition (fear, past experience, conflicting priorities), address it directly, and involve the stakeholder in shaping the solution — turning a critic into an ally.

**Why not A:** Bypassing a resistant stakeholder by escalating directly to their manager is likely to damage the professional relationship and increase resistance. A skilled BA should first seek to understand the stakeholder's concerns and address them through negotiation, collaboration, and demonstrating the value of the requirement before considering escalation paths.

**Why not B:** Removing a powerful stakeholder from the process is impractical and counterproductive. Powerful stakeholders often have significant influence over project success, and excluding them can lead to larger political obstacles, loss of sponsorship, or requirements that fail to account for critical business perspectives.

**Why not C:** Proceeding with the requirement while ignoring the stakeholder's resistance creates significant project risk. The stakeholder may block implementation later, withdraw support, or undermine adoption. Effective business analysis requires addressing resistance through active listening, negotiation, and building consensus rather than forcing decisions through.