One of the biggest challenges we face as a consultant or when managing stakeholders is that we are not viewed as a trusted advisor. When we know that our solution will benefit a stakeholder, we need to overcome their initial indifference and get them to a point where they are strongly interested in hearing our recommendations. Stakeholders are much more likely to buy in and work effectively with people they believe they can trust, and with whom they have individual rapport.

You will also learn how to manage internal and external relationships and negotiate trade-offs when conflict arises, which can be particularly difficult with strong and opinionated personalities. The result of confidently doing what is right for the relationship should be that we are positioning ourselves as a stakeholder for the long-term.