The project manager should have established ground rules before the discussion started. Ground rules are essential in any meeting to ensure that everyone understands the expectations and guidelines for the meeting. They help to manage the behavior of the participants and prevent personal arguments. Ground rules could include respecting others’ opinions, avoiding personal attacks, and focusing on the issue at hand. By setting these rules, the project manager could have prevented the situation where stakeholders were in constant disagreement and using personal arguments to support their position1234. References:

https://www.apm.org.uk/blog/secrets-of-successful-stakeholder-management-as-a-project-manager/

https://www.teamgantt.com/guide/stakeholder-management