What do you think is the source of most disagreements between stakeholders, and how do you go about finding alignment?

Disagreements among stakeholders typically stem from three key factors:

• Differing underlying goals - Each stakeholder is optimizing for their primary goal and if these goals are conflicting, there will be a mismatch

• Varying strategies on how to achieve a goal - Especially in a world with limited resources, each stakeholder may have conviction in a different initiative, even if their goals are the same

• Cultural issues - There may be a communication gap or trust deficit that contributes to disagreements

To foster alignment and resolve disagreements:

• Prioritize communication - Encourage open, transparent conversation and bring people together in one room to avoid misunderstandings. In these situations it’s better to over communicate than under communicate

• Establish common goals - Identify shared interests and objectives to bridge differences and find common ground

• Leverage objective data - Employ both qualitative and quantitative data to help stakeholders make more informed decisions

• Nurture relationships - Invest in building positive, lasting relationships. Get to know stakeholders on a personal level and maintain connections even when not working on immediate projects together

Conflicts can arise from different sources, such as misaligned goals, expectations, or interests, unclear roles and responsibilities, communication gaps or breakdowns, cultural or personality differences, or competing demands or resources.

Establishing common goals across stakeholders, prioritize comminication first across teams, nurturing team bonds will help address and manage disagreements