In Episode 3, Mike and Nate discuss Chapter 4 of the IT Survival Guide, which is focused on conducting Key Stakeholder Meetings during your initial onboarding period in the company. We have already discussed your Foundational Plan (Episode 1) and 90-day Plan (Episode 2), and now we have the next piece in the progression of establishing yourself as the IT leader in your new company.

Post-chapter 4 analysis/reflection questions:

1. What additional stakeholders should the protagonist consider interviewing to get a more well-rounded understanding of the business?
2. How can the protagonist best balance listening to stakeholders' concerns while managing their expectations around immediate solutions?
3. What themes or everyday needs emerged across the various stakeholder interviews? How might the protagonist address these to make early wins?
4. What pitfalls should the IT Leader look for in scheduling and conducting future stakeholder interviews? How could they avoid these?
5. How might the stakeholder interview process evolve as the business and IT department grows and change? What should stay consistent?
6. What types of follow-up should the protagonist prioritize to maintain relationships with stakeholders over the long term?
7. How will learning about the business from stakeholders impact the protagonist's ongoing technology planning and strategy?
8. How do you identify and prioritize key stakeholders for initial meetings in a new leadership role, and what criteria do you use to create your list?
9. Share an approach or technique you've found effective in establishing a baseline of trust during the initial minutes of a stakeholder meeting.
10. Discuss the importance of listening during stakeholder meetings. Can you explain when active listening led to a breakthrough or critical insight?
11. The chapter emphasizes taking detailed notes on paper during meetings. How do you ensure these notes are organized and actionable post-meeting?
12. What strategies do you employ to keep the conversation focused and productive when a stakeholder diverts from the agenda or delves into unrelated topics?
13. How do you structure your follow-up communications to reinforce the discussion's key points and outline the next steps?
14. How do you handle situations where a stakeholder's request or expectation could be more realistic or aligned with the company's IT strategy or capabilities?
15. The chapter mentions the potential for quick wins identified during stakeholder meetings. How do you prioritize these opportunities, and what criteria do you use to decide which actions to take immediately versus those that require more planning or r

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