We can resolve clashes over priorities by gathering stakeholders, actively listening to their perspectives, and then, if needed, making a definitive choice through voting.

There are main principles of PMI and one of them is transparency. In order to identify the sources of conflicts, you have to build an honest, transparent platform among team members and stakeholders. Each member of the project has to understand the importance of ownership over tasks, mistakes and decisions. If you have built such a healthy environment within your project, then identification will be much easier. In other cases, you can utilize RCA tools (Root Cause Analysis), such as: 1) Ishikawa Fishbone Diagram 2) Pareto Charts 3) Scatter Diagram 4) 5 Whys etc. Each of them is unique and suitable for specific cases. What I can suggest is to review them and find the one that suits you most in your case.

Facilitate open communication between project managers and senior management to understand perspectives. Align goals through compromise and negotiation, emphasizing overarching organizational objectives. Establish clear priorities and criteria for decision-making. Collaboratively develop solutions that balance both project and organizational goals, fostering a cooperative and unified approach.

Cuando se produce ese tipo de inconveniente, hablamos de objetivos incomprendidos o cambiados, siempre implica actuar desde el triángulo de hierro, pero teniendo en cuenta cual es el valor buscado que realmente estamos aportando. Si el valor no es el esperado en función del esfuerzo disponible, el proyecto muere, sino, se reorienta o requiere un aporte de algún tipo que permita lograr los objetivos buscados de interés.

Most projects have many outcomes, not just the primary objectives. By trying to identify some of the other changes that occur as a result of the project, there may be opportunity to create additional wins with some minor modifications. One persons up is often another persons down and helping to mitigate that loss with unexpected benefits can reduce conflict

Regular learning and improvement is the sure way to keep ahead of the game. When you learn and reflect you can easily identify the areas that is causing the rift

This is where Stakeholders Management becomes one of the very important knowledge areas irrespective of the nature, environment or size of a project. Though some level of conflicts and disagreements is inevitable, a lot could be prevented at first through proper identification of stakeholders, engaging with them to understand their interests, requirements, level of influence, Etc. Knowing these helps a project manager foresee possible conflicts and work on preventing them or setting suitable responses should they take place. It also helps a project manager engage and communicate with the stakeholders (Top level managers in this case) on their interests in the project.