Handling difficult stakeholders

First, they don’t respect the deadlines.
Then, they disregard the process.
Finally, they provide highly opinionated feedback.

Hands up if you haven’t yet worked with a stakeholder like this.

I’m sure we’ve all had such experiences.

My usual strategy involves clear, sometimes even excessive, communication to ensure everyone is informed about the progress of the project and potential show-stoppers.

Does it work?

Most of the time, yes.

But sometimes, it doesn’t. Occasionally, I deal with individuals who simply don’t care.

With these people, there are only two options:
1. Grin and bear it.
2. Pick a fight.

Experience has taught me that picking fights is seldom in the project’s best interest. So, I normally opt for the first strategy.

How about you? How do you handle such scenarios?