When considering the action you need to take with a certain stakeholder, one of the most difficult challenges is to overcome your preconceived ideas about why they are resisting, or why they may be difficult to handle. It is vital to be able to move away from your assumptions so that you can try new approaches.
The exercise that follows is another one which works best when someone else is asking the questions.
Focus on a particular individual whom you have identified is an important one to move, and then answer the following questions…
- Why have you placed them where you have on the map? What evidence backs up your assessment?
- How does their agenda compare to your own?
- Is their personal agenda likely to affect their agreement?
- What makes them powerful?
- How does your goal increase or decrease their power?
- How will they benefit (or lose) if you are successful? How do you know this?
- How are they connected to other stakeholders on your map?
- Whom else are they close to who is not on your map? Whom do they turn to for advice and guidance? Should they be added to your map?
- Is there any other background insight which is relevant here?
- What types of influence might they be open to?
- What strategies have you tried in the past?
- What happened when you tried this?
- How do you see other people influencing them?
- What approach seems to work best?
- What could you learn from this?
- What are your options for action? (ideas you could consider)
- What are the best options? (your preferred options)
- What will you do? (your action plan)
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