September 21, 2023 | By David M. Wagner

“Does anyone have any suggestions?”

Crickets.

As important as it is to solicit input from stakeholders – whether you want their help shaping a vision, crafting an action plan, or making a decision – it’s not always easy to get the conversation started.

It turns out that many people struggle to fill in a blank sheet of blank sheet of paper with their ideas.

Fortunately, the social hack that helped create Wikipedia can work for us, too.

Cunningham’s Law

Ward Cunningham, inventor of wiki software (used on Wikipedia and many other places), has claimed that “the best way to get the right answer on the Internet is not to ask a question; it’s to post the wrong answer.”

Why? Because someone will likely feel a sense of obligation to correct that wrong answer.

Our inability to let incorrect information go unchallenged, coupled with an open editing policy, have helped make Wikipedia the “biggest and most-read reference work ever” (though not without its problems).

Apparently, we are hard-wired to correct people when we think they are wrong. I think the same holds true for speaking up when we have strong opinions about a presented idea.

That tendency can be rude in conversation. But harnessed correctly, we can use the “wrong answer hack” to increase engagement with stakeholders.

Don’t Start with a Blank Sheet

Instead of asking stakeholders to draw on a blank sheet of paper, show them a picture and ask them what they think.

Chances are that they’ll tell you what they like and don’t like, and what they think should be different about that picture.

So, instead of asking, “what do you think our mission statement should be?” consider preparing an initial draft and ask, “what would you change to improve this mission statement?”

My clients, and I personally, have had luck using this same approach to get meaningful stakeholder input for many purposes:

• Write mission, vision, purpose, and values statements. How would you improve this draft?

• Develop actionable roadmaps. What steps are we missing?

• Estimate project schedules and budgets. Does this timeline seem realistic? Is this placeholder cost too low, too high, or about right?

• Brainstorm new candidate options for important decisions. Here are a few ideas we put together. What others come to mind?

• Design complex programs and systems. Here’s a mockup of the concept. How does this compare to what you have in mind?

• Create policies and procedures. Here’s how we’re thinking this could work. What would you change?

It can feel frustrating when you make an effort to solicit others’ opinions and get blank stares in response. Instead, try giving stakeholders a draft to comment on to generate discussion (you can decide how “wrong” to make the draft). I coach leaders on how to use tools like this to better engage their teams, especially during strategic planning. Set a free consultation today to discuss ways I can help you better connect with stakeholders.