“Other stakeholders are like a foreign country – they actually have good ideas!”

Imagine a group of stakeholders, talking about risk assessment of environmental spill sites, all with their own interests:  oil and chemical companies (don’t want to saddle the expense), federal and state government (protecting the environment, an the interests of the public), environmental consultants (assessment and clean up are the core of their revenue).  Lots of competing interests. 

Helen Waldorf, who was the task group chair of #ASTM International (American Society for Testing and Materials),  facilitated year-long conversations on risk-based assessment of environmental clean-up.  She helped them negotiate across their competing interests, and identify a shared purpose that would help them reach consensus on the risk assessment of these spill sites.  She describes their path from belligerence to an ability to work across their competing interests, and eventually  to appreciate the value of the other stakeholders.  One of the stakeholders reported:  “It’s as if I’ve been to a foreign country; these people aren’t bad, they actually have some good ideas!”

I interviewed Helen about this case.  In these interviews, I ask presenters questions to illustrate key components of the #AdaptiveLeadership model that show up in their case.  #collaboration  Watch the interview here: