Here's how you can excel in temporary and contract roles with senior stakeholders.

Empathy is a key skill especially when you need to establish rapport quickly and often have very little time to make an impact. You need to understand what keeps senior leaders awake and how you can help them. After that you need to mean what you say and say what you mean. Breaking promises or being overly ambitious is a sure way of losing trust

In addition to the insights shared so far, I would add that building rapport is an ongoing journey. It’s important to get to know the person as an individual first before getting to wanting to learn their priorities as a business leader. Rounding up each conversation with questions like “How helpful was today’s conversation?” or “How else I can support you and your team?” sets the stage for the next conversation that you will have.

The question is applicable to all kind of engagement, permanent / contracting / temporary. Few basic principles: a) Walk the talk - Demonstrate the capability by executing and not just talking. Deliver high quality work b) Build relationship with the stakeholder focusing on the business and technical knowledge. Understand the stakeholder's pain points and deliver using the same language. Its important that the concerned person is talking the same language (business / technical context) as that of the stakeholders to be on the same page c) Be adaptable to the changing needs, show proactiveness in driving conclusion and be relevant in the context d) Most importantly, keep up to the promise.

I always look at it as if I am a shop owner and the stake holder is a customer. The objective is not to sell them as much as I have in the stockroom, but to understand exactly what they want to achive and sell them that thing which helps them for the current requirement. That way the next time they need something they will come back for your expertise. Similaly in a contract you have many skills and ideas, you job is to create a trusted relationship where you listen to the need, qualify and confirm any adjustments that you suggest Then of course keep them up to date on progress.

Begin with the end in mind by clearly defining objectives and deliverables. Maintain the integrity of the brief by sticking to the agreed scope while remaining adaptable to evolving needs and priorities. Invest 100% accelerated effort into the assignment, demonstrating commitment and proactively seeking ways to add value. Emphasise empathy and emotional intelligence to effectively engage with a diverse range of personalities. Building strong relationships and understanding different perspectives will foster trust and collaboration, ensuring a successful and impactful contribution.

Understand their true definition of success and align that back to the goals that they would like you to achieve. Will it be quantitative or qualitative? Ask questions relating the set goals considering mission and vision of the organisation as goals set should be supporting the long term sustainability. Get insights pertinent to priority set to achieve goals as that will definitely help you to plan the execution of activities on the ground to achieve them. Where additional resources may be required to deliver the set goals, to highlight and seek way forward. At the end both parties must have clarity on the goals within the agreed parameter that have been set.

Whatever the context you are in, it is key to understand the goals and priorities of your stakeholders. A few keys are: 1) Focus on the person's needs and goals - genuinely. Ask questions and listen. In any encounter, especially early on, you should probably spend more time listening than talking. Active listening, with follow-up questions and reformulation, is very useful. Open questions are often more useful than closed ones. 2) Go deep - sometimes, the person may not tell you what's on their mind right away. They may not want to share, or they may need your help to structure their thoughts or objectives. The '5 whys' technique (or similar) can help you get to the bottom of things.

Don't just listen, decode. Understand the why behind their goals. This will help you align your work with their vision and anticipate their needs.

I wholeheartedly agree that the ability to generate value-adding conversations and actions is paramount to excelling in temporary roles. Understanding the senior stakeholders' business objectives is the first step in building strong relationships and trust. By asking specific questions about their strategic goals and success metrics, we not only demonstrate genuine interest in their work but also gain a broader perspective of the business. This understanding allows us to proactively tailor our contributions, anticipating needs and exceeding expectations.

Here’s what should work. Clarify objectives immediately: In the first meeting, ask for clarity on the most critical goals. For example, “What are the top 3 priorities you want me to focus on during this contract?” Write these down and revisit them during your updates. Tie your work to their strategy: If you’re in a marketing role, and the stakeholder’s goal is to grow online engagement, focus your efforts on strategies that increase engagement metrics, like improving website content or boosting social media activity. Set deadlines and milestones: For example, if they want a new feature rolled out in 6 weeks, break the project into weekly deliverables and communicate each step’s completion. This shows you’re focused on results.

Consistent and regular communication is essential in order to minimise misunderstandings surrounding projects. When providing stakeholders with accurate and up to date info, then you can be sure that people involved understand objectives and expectations.

Clarity trumps complexity. Tailor your message to their level of understanding. Avoid jargon. Use storytelling to connect emotionally and leave a lasting impression.

What I find helpful in communication is using various media and types of content, based on your stakeholder's expectations and style. Some people react better to concepts and frameworks, others to raw facts. Some people are more interested in the results, others in the process. Some are more visual, others react better to voice. It's good to try and combine 2/3 ways to convey your message if you want to maximize the impact. Of course, nothing replaces direct, face-to-face communication, but you may not always have that luxury.

Clarity and transparency are crucial in any relationship to avoid confusion and misunderstandings. Therefore, simple, straightforward communication is really useful in any situation.

Beyond aligning our actions with their priorities, it's essential to: Foster collaboration: Involve stakeholders in decision-making and seek their feedback regularly to strengthen relationships and ensure that work is relevant and effective. Communicate results clearly and concisely: Use concrete metrics and data to demonstrate the impact of our work, building trust and credibility. Build long-term relationships: Beyond the project at hand, it's important to cultivate strong relationships with stakeholders, as this can open doors to future opportunities.

Delivering value is an exercise in humility. It's important to constantly remind ourselves of the needs of our clients or stakeholders. One way to do that is to organize regular progress points with the stakeholders. Situations evolve and the initial focus and scope of your work can evolve based on the context.

Identify some long standing issues that your key stakeholders have, and then work to resolve them. So, build your credibility quickly and display your capabilities in a very practical sense.

Actions speak louder than words. Focus on delivering tangible outcomes that move the needle. Celebrate small wins and use them to build momentum.

I think this is crucial, especially in short term contracts. Delivery of Results to the required goals builds trust, makes you memorable, and more likely to get another contract or extension of current contract with the same client.

Whilst I agree it is also important to balance the view. Coming in and changing things quickly and without discussion may (and it is only a cautionary note) provoke a negative reaction for 2 reasons: - if it’s not been discussed there may be backlash for not communicating with any relevant parties - it may be seen to highlight others inadequacies, or come across as arrogance Ultimately the job is to improve and overall the approach of “low hanging fruit” or “quick wins” works, but judge your audience before acting without discussion.

Here are my suggestions- Stay flexible: If the priorities shift mid-project (which they often do in contract roles), be willing to pivot. For example, if you were hired to streamline hiring but they suddenly want you to focus on retention, immediately refocus your efforts on creating retention strategies, such as exit interviews and retention surveys. Anticipate changes: For example, if you sense a shift in market conditions while managing a product launch, be the first to suggest a change in the marketing plan before the stakeholders raise it. Solve problems on the fly: Develop a habit of solving problems and pulling the strings to make things work.

From my experience on the other side of the fence, adaptability is key. Understand what drives the organisation and people you are working with. Failing to get in tune often leads to tension and conflict which never ends well.

In today's fast paced world, the ability to navigate change is becoming a necessary skill. Adaptability, flexibility is considered an important skill, enables individuals to respond to new challenges and opportunities. Change brings new opportunities and possibilities, so those who adapt are more likely to seize these opportunities!

The other topics in this article are undoubtedly very interesting for those who seek to act as consultants and advisors in organizations. However, this specific topic, number 5, which deals with “adaptation”, needs to be analyzed with caution: adaptation kills innovation, and if you are in a senior advisor position, your performance almost always needs to have an innovative vision. Be careful not to adapt too much and lose your percussion, pioneering spirit and added value.

I prefer the term “agility” over “adaptability” or “flexibility.” Accepting all change requests from senior stakeholders can lead to a loss of consistency.

In any role you take on in your life, be it personal or professional, it is crucial to try and understand or appreciate the 360 degrees of it, and try your best to gain a comprehensive view from different perspectives through research, engagement with peers and collaborative deep-dives into problem statements / RCAs. If, despite your best efforts, individually and collectively, you are still unable to fully grasp the scale and scope of an activity, project or initiative, then you should have the humility to acknowledge and accept this reality, and commit yourself to learning more from those around you - colleagues, leaders, friends, relatives, etc. - who might be able to help you find the pieces of the puzzle you need to succeed.