Stakeholder Whispering: Why People Ask for One Thing but Need Another
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Leaders are constantly responding to requests from employees, customers, executives, boards, and partners. Yet one of the most expensive mistakes leaders make is solving the problem they were asked to solve instead of the problem that actually exists.
In this episode, Dr. Sharalyn Payne sits down with Bill Shander, author of Stakeholder Whispering: Uncovering What People Need Before Doing What They Ask, to explore why stakeholders often struggle to articulate their true needs and how leaders can develop the discernment to identify what is really driving requests.
Together they discuss difficult stakeholders, trust, influence, communication, and practical techniques leaders can use to uncover the needs beneath the request and create better outcomes for everyone involved.
Key Takeaway:
The request is rarely the real need.
Great leaders diagnose before they prescribe.
Stakeholders are experts in their pain, not always the solution.
Every request contains data.
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