I have recently faced a communication challenge with a non-profit I volunteer for. I received an email that I perceived to be unkind but I wanted to discuss it further so I requested an in-person meeting to discuss and gain additional information to determine their intent. Unfortunately, the leader of the organization handled this poorly. The issue is still unresolved.

It is difficult to give advice to someone in my position, but in terms of leaders, I would give the advice: assume the best of people until you have information that proves otherwise. Making negative assumptions about people will nearly always be detrimental.

Sometimes I struggle with the clarifying concepts part of the wheel. I know what I want to say, but sometimes it is difficult to express that, especially in the moment. I am good at asking questions, but not always answering.

Think of a time when you had to facilitate a difficult conversation with multiple stakeholders who had different perspectives. What happened? Would you have handled it differently in hindsight? What advice would you give someone in this position? What new strategies have you learned in this module that you plan to apply to future meetings with multiple stakeholders

I recently had to facilitate a meeting with multiple stakeholders with different perspectives. The meeting's goal was to discuss ways to increase recruitment, retention and morale of an organization. Unfortunately, it did not go well as not everyone was on the same page on the direction of the meeting. In hindsight, I would create a meeting agenda that includes objectives in order to better communication the goals. In the future, I hope to be more clear and concise in order to avoid miscommunications.

They are able to inspire and motivate stakeholders by combining facts and information with passion, transparency and clear communication. 

Tip: Never stop learning. Leadership is not about always having the answers, it is about reflecting on yourself and being willing and able to grow.
Burning Question: How to other people that are shy/anxious overcome to be an effective leader with outside stakeholders?