Are assumptions preventing you from achieving your goals?

Do you find yourself regularly getting frustrated by certain stakeholders in your organisation?

The things that make you frustrated about working with stakeholders in your organisation may not be intentional, they could be based on assumptions. 

For example, they might not know that you need more time to develop communications materials or that there is more value that you can add. If someone hasn’t had much experience with media, they might not understand how critical deadlines can be.

Here are some tips for how you can identify and overcome assumptions at work. 

Make a note of regular challenges. 

If you feel like the same issue is happening again and again, make a note and then raise them the next time you catch up with this stakeholder. 

It’s wise to not raise them as a complaint, but with a proposal for how they can be avoided next time. 

For example, would it be possible to get more notice when a new project is being launched? This way we can share our media release with key outlets under embargo and have more chance of getting into papers. 

Look at the assumptions you may have

It’s also likely that you are also holding assumptions about the teams and stakeholders you work with that might frustrate them. 

Next time you meet with them, ask them if there are any regular challenges they would like to raise or any opportunities to work together better?

Make a note to discuss this when you next meet.