How I manage conflicting feedback from stakeholders
Read time: 4 minutes
Yesterday, I presented my ideas in a design review and received conflicting feedback from 2 stakeholders.
Stakeholder 1: We should remove that CTA because it adds too much clutter to the page
Stakeholder 2: We should keep the CTA because we receive a lot of revenue from users who tap it.
This was me: 😵💫
What would you do in this situation?
Especially if stakeholder 1 is your manager and stakeholder 2 is the Head of Product 😭
Here are five strategies I frequently use to make decisions in this common situation:
Identify perspectives behind each person's feedback
Use design principles to support decision-making
Set criteria for decision-making
Evaluate the risks and benefits of the suggested ideas
Conduct user testing to make the decision
Managing conflicting feedback diplomatically is a critical skill for a product designer.
Let's dive deeper into each of these five strategies
#1 - Identify perspectives behind the stakeholder's feedback
Instead of assuming the reason behind the stakeholders' suggestions or feedback, dig deeper and ask them why they suggested the idea.
A good way to do this is to use the 5 Why's Root-Cause Analysis. Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Industries, created this technique.
Identifying the root of the feedback makes it easier for all team members to understand the reasoning behind the input and then decide whether they agree or disagree.
You may also think of a better way to solve the root concern.
#2 - Use design principles to support decision-making
Design principles provide the team with shared guidelines so everyone is on the same page.
This helps make decisions objectively, as the principles have been agreed upon beforehand with deep consideration and data, not individual opinions.
This prevents team members from providing feedback on their personal principles or opinions that aren't based on data.
#3 - Set a criteria for decision making
Sometimes, we don't have design principles, or they are too high-level to help with certain decisions.
So, I create my own criteria to help make a design decision.
I typically base this on user needs (based on research or data).
For example, I have a user need, such as: "I want to complete this task as quickly as possible as I have little time,"
When choosing between different opinions or options, I use this as a reference point. I will pick the solution that allows users to complete the task as quickly as possible.
Here's an example of one I've done in the past 👇🏽
#4 - Evaluate the risks and benefits of the suggested ideas
A risk and benefit analysis identifies the suggested idea's risks (or challenges) and benefits.
This is simply a list of pros and cons.
The output of this analysis allows a more objective comparison between the two suggestions and highlights aspects that weren't initially obvious.
You can also show all stakeholders this analysis to explain how you reached your final decision—or, even better, ask both stakeholders to do this exercise with you!
#5 - Conduct user testing to make the decision
Usability testing or concept testing is a great approach as it removes bias and the personal opinions of team members.
If you've been given two different ideas, you could user-test both scenarios to see which resonates with the users the most and which is clearer for them.
The disadvantage is that this is probably the most time-consuming method.
Conclusion
The most important thing I want you to take away is that all of these methods are trying to achieve the same thing:
This is to remove the subjective opinions of those providing feedback and suggestions.
As designers, this may be much easier for us but not for others, especially when they focus on achieving their individual team goals and metrics.
It's our job to facilitate this conversation and approach to thinking. To help stakeholders evaluate all design suggestions objectively.
Try one of these approaches the next time you're in this situation—maybe start with the pros and cons list!
