Tips for managing stakeholder input: are there any templates or best practices for when to gather input and how to incorporate (i.e. whose feedback to incorporate vs. ignore, etc.), especially as it relates to a timeline?

From the beginning of a project, set clearly defined objectives and goals. I believe the key to managing stakeholder input is to lay the foundation from the beginning. It’s much harder to manage stakeholders and their feedback if the structure is not set from day 1. If each interaction anchors to this then your stakeholders won’t experience surprises.

Clear communication is going to be necessary as well. My preference is to get ahead of the questions. Define how you are going to communicate progress and measure performance. You’ll find it is much easier to manage timelines if your stakeholders have an expected cadence for communication. This also helps manage the opinions that are received from multiple channels at multiple times (which makes project management difficult).

Lastly, documentation is important. Will everyone read it? No, but it serves as a point of reference for stakeholder management. As input is gathered and documented, you should also define if it is in scope or part of a future phase. Acknowledge the input and show it as captured and not forgotten, but also reinforce what will be incorporated now versus what will be part of the backlog for prioritization.