Responding to unengaged stakeholders

1. Introduction 

Whenever we facilitate meeting, we always go in perhaps with a bit of apprehension or nervousness, but ideally, we would like for the meeting to go smoothly where everyone is on the same page, asking the right questions, and leave the meeting feeling confident with a clear sense of purpose. But sometimes, that is not necessarily the case.

Project managers may occasionally facilitate a meeting where something feel off, or they felt that they did not get the most out of it. Issues such as confusion as to what to expect or difficulty speaking up due to dominating atmosphere and introversion are some of the key issues that may lead to speakers to be unengaged or closed off from their peers. Some may feel left out during the meeting and feel as though the meeting’s a waste of time. 

This is an issue as all meetings ideally should have the inputs and buy-ins of all the stakeholder rather than imposing the expectation of agreeability. This is why we as project managers must fulfil our roles as facilitators and create an ideal environment where everyone is empowered to speak their mind regardless of who they are and the position they hold. 

2. Pre-readings 

Whenever a stakeholder enters a meeting, it is quite likely that they are not up to date with what has happened between that day and the previous meeting. So, it would not come to anyone’s surprise that they may feel overloaded with taking in all the information in one sitting. As a result, they may feel confused or unsure as to what to ask during the meeting. Understanding and idea generation require a certain period of gestation, where stakeholders can take in information and allow for their subconscious to respond and reorganise themselves.

This results in the creation of new neural pathways that get re-activated when the same topic comes up. This results in better understanding, clarity and creativity during the day of the meeting. To leverage this, we send out to our stakeholders pre-readings. This can be in the form of agenda items, presentation or script. 

3. Change the way you speak 

Facilitators that are too rigid and overbearing will decrease the confidence of input by stakeholders as they would feel threatened to generate ideas and inputs rather than speaking their mind. Niamh O’Brien during her October 2025 workshop has once spoke of tools to unlocking quite power. Some of them were: 

• Using positive tone 

• Speaking with the element of air 

Speaking with a positive tone refers to the delivery of the same information in a way that is both accommodating and encouraging. What it aims to do is to leave a better impression on stakeholders and builds trust and relationship.  

In addition to a positive tone, O’Brien spoke of the six elements of speaking. One of which being Air that speaks in a curious and light-hearted tone. This prompts a more receptive and accomodating approach to questioning. 

The two definitions may seem trite, yet it remains remarkably useful in the corporate environment. For example, compare the following statements: 

 

“Do we have any questions?” 

 

To. 

 

“When we bring all this together, I’m quite curious, how do we all feel about it?” 

 

When saying these two questions out loud, did you speak in a different way? That is the kind of tone that facilitates great discussions. 

4. Conclusion 

Ultimately, the success of a meeting is not marked solely on the agenda or the outcomes, but on how people feel during and after the discussion. When we take the time to prepare our stakeholders with pre-readings, speaking with curiosity, and fostering an inclusive environment, we create space for genuine collaboration. Meetings then spans beyond formality, they become a platform for shared understanding, creativity, and progress.

As project managers, our role is not simply to manage tasks, but to guide conversations that matter. And when we do that well, everyone leaves the room feeling heard, valued, and ready to move work the next steps with clarity. 

At PMLogic, we help organisations turn conversations into meaningful action.If you’d like support engaging stakeholders or improving collaboration in your projects, get in touch with our team today.

Get in Touch