When a key stakeholder leaves the project unexpectedly, what do you do or what should you have done? I'll focus on my learnings on risk mitigation. 1. At the start of the project, I would like to understand my partners' organisational and team structure to develop a mental model of escalation pathways and support. Knowing who is who internally helps 2. I'll constantly check in with my key stakeholder on who is directly supporting him/her on this project and when and how are updates being played out in their organisation. 3. I'll check in on their coverage and who do I reach out for clarifications if i cannot reach my key stakeholder. 4. Keep all communications looped in the wider ecosystem so that both parties can pick it up.

Based on my about 10 years in project management and my current position - as a partnership manager; I'd like to share my opinions about this situation: 1. First, assess their impact on the project to identify any immediate resource gaps. 2. Communicate transparently with remaining stakeholders and your team to ensure alignment and trust. 3. Engage team members to help fill the void, empowering them to step up where possible. If necessary, seek a replacement or restructure roles to minimize dependency on any single contributor. 4. Lastly, consider this an opportunity to explore new partnerships or fresh ideas that can enhance the project, maintaining momentum and reinforcing project resilience.

The key to any business transaction is resiliency. Relying solely on people for partnerships can lead to trouble. Mature and robust business acumen involves building partnerships on a foundation of processes with mitigation guardrails. Building resiliency means managing foreseeable risks and preparing for the unexpected, like stakeholder changes. Mitigate these risks by creating a circle of influence and involving the right people to the necessary extent. This approach ensures that any unexpected shifts are managed, mapped, and mitigated. Remember, end of the day, we are dealing with human connections. Keeping them open and grounded in trust, transparency, and technology helps navigate unforeseen situations. Agree?

2 key principles: 1. Never let a single individual become the sole keeper of critical information. Successful projects and partnerships demand shared responsibility and transparent communication. 2. Be proactive - you should anticipate challenges and document processes across the team for unexpected scenarios, like this one.

When a key stakeholder exits unexpectedly, adaptability and clear strategy are essential to keep the project on track: 🔍 Reassess Objectives: Take a moment to evaluate how this change impacts the project. Adjust timelines and goals as needed to align with the new structure. 💬 Transparent Communication: Keep remaining stakeholders and team members informed about the situation. Open, honest communication helps maintain trust and aligns everyone on the new path forward. 🌱 Seek New Collaborations: View this change as an opportunity. Explore potential new partnerships or ideas that could strengthen the project. Staying focused, communicative, and open to new directions can turn a challenge into an opportunity for growth.

When faced with an unfavorable situation like the unexpected exit of a key stakeholder, the approach needs to balance quick adaptation with a strategic reassessment to minimize project disruption. Here is some tips from me: 1. Conduct rapid impact assessment 2. Determined if core objective can still realistic to achieve without the missing stakeholder or not 3. Strtengthem the communication and the spirit of the rest stakeholder 4. Adjust goal and objective, re allign new quick win 5. Fill gaps ASAP

Start a scenario planning conversation. Scenarios help leaders and teams understand a range of possible next steps and reduce our human tendency to focus on a worst case scenario. Scenario planning has two other powerful benefits. First, it demonstrates considered action in the face of uncertainty. Second, and when done well, scenario planning helps surface the possibility of concluding a partnership, particularly if it's not playing out as expected. This can bring relief of those involved and help the organisation refocus resources to higher value partnerships.

I would first look to understand why the stakeholder exited unexpectedly? Was it linked to the partnership? Did the SH not feel that the partnership was fulfilling its objectives? Did they not feel valued or heard? Were there any conflicts with another stakeholder? It would be important to understand their reasons for exit before taking any next steps, in case it was an issue that could be addressed and resolved. If we dont understand the reasons, there is a risk of other stakeholders also exiting. I would then bring stakeholders together and review any further actions.

Recently, a key stakeholder left mid-project, making it feel like our campaign had lost its GPS. I quickly assessed the impact and shared the news with the team, reassuring them, "Yes, our champion's gone, but we’re still driving this ship together." We used this as a chance for a strategic pivot, bringing in a colleague whose fresh insights added new perspectives. Team ownership kept creativity high, and regular check-ins ensured we stayed on track. In the end, we delivered the project successfully and proved just how adaptable we could be. Healthy workplaces are always prepared for uncertainty.