Eric Pliner, CEO of YSC Consulting and author of "Difficult Decisions," delves into the art of stakeholder engagement in decision-making. He emphasizes the importance of clear communication to define roles—whether providing input, a voice, or a vote. Eric also discusses standardizing decision-making processes to foster collaboration and enhance accountability. He advocates for asking deeper questions to truly understand stakeholder perspectives, and highlights the ethical complexities faced in these interactions. A thought-provoking dialogue on leadership and engagement!
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Stakeholder Involvement
Involve stakeholders in decisions that affect them.
Explain their level of influence upfront to increase buy-in.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Targeted Engagement
Clarify who you'll engage and how before discussing decisions.
Consider those directly impacted and those influencing others.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Clarify Decision Process
Explain the decision-making process upfront.
Clarify whether stakeholders have a view, voice, vote, or veto.
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In 'Difficult Decisions: How Leaders Make the Right Call with Insight, Integrity, and Empathy', Eric Pliner provides a framework for tackling subjective and complex decisions. The book emphasizes the importance of understanding personal subjectivity and how morals, ethics, and role responsibilities influence decision-making. It offers practical tools for executives and managers to develop self-reflection and clarify their values in making difficult choices.
Eric Pliner: Difficult Decisions
Eric Pliner is chief executive officer of YSC Consulting. He has designed and implemented leadership strategy in partnership with some of the world’s best-known CEOs and organizations. Eric’s writing has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Forbes, and Fast Company.
A member of the Dramatists’ Guild of America, Eric is co-author of the U.S. National Standards for Health Education and Spooky Dog & the Teen-Age Gang Mysteries (with Amy Rhodes), an Off-Broadway theatrical parody of television cartoons for adults. He is a board director with Hip Hop Public Health. He is also the author of Difficult Decisions: How Leaders Make the Right Call with Insight, Integrity, and Empathy*.
In this conversation, Eric and I discuss the difficult and sometimes awkward moments when we engage other stakeholders in our decisions. We explore the language to use when discussing a stakeholder’s role in a decision. Plus, Eric details how to establish clear expectations about involvement in decisions to avoid sending messages that we otherwise don’t intend.
Key Points
Clarify who you will engage and how you intend to do so.
Before discussing a decision with a stakeholder, explain how the decision is going to be made. Make it clear if you’re offering them a views, a voice, a vote, or a veto.
Standardize your individual and team processes for decision-making.
Ask the stakeholder for input — and go deeper with a second or third question to appreciate what’s behind what they’ve said.
Remind stakeholders how the decision will be made when you conclude. Don’t underestimated the importance of this step.
Interview Notes
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Related Episodes
How to Influence Many Stakeholders, with Andy Kaufman (episode 240)
How to Deal with Opponents and Adversaries, with Peter Block (episode 328)
The Way to Make Better Decisions, with Annie Duke (episode 499)
Handling a Difficult Stakeholder, with Nick Timiraos (episode 581)
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