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Uncover What People Need Before Doing What They Ask
Most people don’t know what they actually need — they just know what they think they want. In Stakeholder Whispering, Bill Shander enlightens knowledge workers on how to cut through the noise, ask the right questions, and uncover the real drivers behind stakeholder requests — so they can stop being order-takers and start driving real impact.
In Stakeholder Whispering: Uncover What People Need Before Doing What They Ask, author Bill Shander walks you through a powerful new approach to delivering what people actually need — even when they can’t quite articulate it themselves. He explains how you can collaborate with stakeholders to uncover their driving goals and deliver outcomes that truly hit the mark.
The book shows you how to shift from being a passive “order-taker” to becoming a proactive partner, someone who can anticipate underlying goals and guide conversations before misalignment takes hold. You’ll learn how to help your customers, bosses, colleagues, clients, and the public achieve their objectives and make smarter decisions by offering solutions that align with their real priorities.
An essential resource for managers, executives, and other business leaders, Stakeholder Whispering is also a must-read for product development teams, software engineers, UX professionals, designers, consultants, business analysts, data experts, and anyone else who wants to consistently deliver value, even when their stakeholders aren’t entirely sure what they’re asking for.
“Stakeholder Whispering is a masterclass in navigating the complex world of stakeholder management. Shander’s approach emphasizes empathy, strategic inquiry, and real engagement, providing readers with practical tools to navigate complex dynamics and build trust-based connections. A must-read for leaders seeking impactful, long-lasting relationships in any organization.”
Dr. MARSHALL GOLDSMITH
Thinkers50 #1 Executive Coach, New York Times bestselling author of The Earned Life, Triggers, and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
“Stop wasting time and resources solving the wrong problems! Bill Shander can show you how in Stakeholder Whispering: Uncover What People Need Before Doing What They Ask. Bill takes us on a highly readable and even entertaining journey with practical advice. I highly recommend it.”
SARA CANADAY
Leadership Strategist, Speaker, Author
“The best leaders are great listeners. In fact, they lead by listening in a way that also helps them be more fully heard by all stakeholders; it’s a virtuous circle. So how do we become better listeners? Bill Shander’s Stakeholder Whispering: Uncover What People Need Before Doing What They Ask is a practical guide to help leaders and aspiring leaders hone their ability to hear what really matters to the people they lead. I highly recommend it.”
DOUG CONANT
Founder and CEO of ConantLeadership and former CEO of Campbell Soup Company
The skill of guiding stakeholders toward what they actually need — before they realize it themselves. Done right, it prevents misalignment, endless revisions, and the soul-crushing phrase: “Let’s circle back on this.” All without making stakeholders defensive or triggering an existential crisis.
Example: “Instead of building another useless dashboard, we Stakeholder Whispered our way to an actually useful solution — on the first try.”
They need leaders, teams, and individuals who know how to:
to uncover the real need (before the wild goose chase begins).
to prevent bad decisions before they happen.
so communication finally drives action.
Stakeholder Whispering does much more than teach these skills — it makes them impossible to forget.
Want better results with fewer bad requests? Start by getting inside your stakeholders’ heads, without the guesswork.
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