Designing better stakeholder interviews: A toolkit for mapping assumptions and power

We’re trained to document stakeholder goals and requirements. But most cross-functional friction doesn’t start with bad goals — it starts with hidden assumptions, incentive conflicts, and unspoken power dynamics that surface during discovery.

In this session, Beth Keller Kirycki will walk through a practical stakeholder listening toolkit she uses in real product environments — including what to do before, during, and after each stakeholder interview. She’ll offer built-in drills for strengthening listening and assumption detection over time.

You’ll see how this system captures not just what stakeholders say, but what’s shaping what they say — and you’ll leave with a downloadable toolkit you can adapt to your own discovery docs, research repositories, or content governance workflows.

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Structure stakeholder interviews using a pre/during/post listening framework.
• Identify and document assumption patterns alongside stated goals.
• Map incentives and power signals to anticipate cross-functional risk.
• Translate stakeholder tension into strategic adjustments.
• Strengthen listening as a repeatable research skill, not a personality trait.