Finding common ground is important to earning trust.
Develop empathy
Get to know their viewpoint so intimately that we’re driven to action.
Ask good questions
Understand how their interests outside of the office affect their perspective.
In addition to getting to know our stakeholders, it’s important to look at the individuals on our team and work to improve the quality of our communication by:
Identifying influencers
Based on what we already know about their role on the team, we can understand the values that drive their reactions to our work.
Building good relationships
Simple things can go a long way in establishing rapport: be yourself, do stuff, and give stuff. Communication is easier in good relationships.