I’ve been working with a team lately on exploring why stakeholder alignment is such a universal challenge to efficient strategy execution. The issue comes up consistently when polling both executives and teams as to some of the biggest obstacles in driving positive organizational change. I’ve engaged in many of these discussions over the years, but something just hit me: I’m an executive stakeholder myself, and people are constantly trying to keep me aligned too. Instead of assuming I was part of the solution, I began to ask, am I part of the problem?
Since posing this question to myself, I have become hyper-conscious of this dynamic. I am surrounded by many talented project managers, and lately during meetings and conversations I notice them leveraging effective stakeholder management tactics on me as they lead me through my executive sponsor responsibilities. Now, as I sit through Executive Team meetings, engaging in healthy debates, I more consciously than ever challenge my own stance. Should I fight harder or seek common ground?
This process of self-reflection has led me to develop a checklist of questions to ask myself in any decision-making situation.
What would it take to change my position?
When challenged with an opposing view, my natural reaction is to find ways to better articulate my perspective, explain better, talk louder, latch on reasons to dismiss the counter message, double down, etc. More frequently now, my thoughts focus on understanding what underpins my own side of the debate and dissecting it enough to reveal what information would lead me to change my opinion. The more clearly I can define it, the easier it is for me or others to supply the data to quickly confirm or refute my position.
What unconscious biases are in play?
There has been so much research and so much published on the topic of cognitive bias (including IPM’s own article on how it can hinder strategic prioritization). However, understanding bias exists and combating it are two different things. My best solution here has been to simply try to make the unconscious conscious. I’ve learned to challenge my gut more with my head and my heart.
Why did I stop asking “why”?
I always try to seek to understand others’ perspectives, and I believe I’m a good listener, but I also know that I don’t always look far enough below the surface. The famous technique is called “five whys” for a reason. Why do I always tend to stop at three? Two more “whys” has been an easy fix.
Is this a fact, an assumption, or a belief?
Clearly facts are preferred. Assumptions are plenty, and clearly identifying them and ensuring there are no substitutable facts is important. However, understanding the beliefs that underlie my positions is probably the most difficult. The more emotional I am on a topic, the more suspicious I am of myself. What is it about my world view (my beliefs) that is causing me to feel this way? Over-optimism? Fear? Mistrust? Bravado? I have found that the most powerful thing I can do is label it so that it can be appropriately weighed with broader context.
My fellow executive stakeholders, alignment can’t be done to us, it must be done with us. We must own the responsibility to reconcile misalignment with our executive peers. Our organizations deserve it. Misalignment at the top will only widen as it permeates the organization, and our teams will have no chance at efficiently hitting any target, let alone the right one.
October 9, 2023
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