Why won't your stakeholders just tell you what they want? Because they don't know yet, and that's where you come in.When IIBA’s Digital Library+ recommended Stakeholder Whispering: Uncover What People Need Before Doing What They Ask to me, I felt a little called out. So I invited the author on the show! In this episode, I’m joined by Bill Shander, data storytelling expert and author. Bill has never carried the business analyst title, but he’s spent 30-plus years doing the work, and he says eliciting real needs is the most important skill any knowledge worker can build.We dig into what “whispering” is all about and why making your stakeholders feel heard is essential not just to eliciting requirements, but to building the kind of trust that gets you past the first answer to what they really need. Plus: why asking “why?” can feel like an attack, the useful paranoia every BA needs, and why this skill matters even more in the age of AI.💬 Tell us in the comments: What’s your go-to question when a stakeholder says “just do what I asked”?🎙️Episode Highlights• What "stakeholder whispering" really means• Why stakeholders don't know what they need• Fast thinking, slow thinking, and useful paranoia• The Socratic method and BA as therapy• Deep listening and follow-up questions• Imposter syndrome and owning your seat at the table• Using authority to ask "why" without the hostility• The dance of the six Ws• Everybody you work with is a stakeholder too• Where humans keep the edge over AI• Audience Q&A: signal vs. noise, political responses🔗 Resources
• Connect with Susan on LinkedIn
• Connect with Bill on LinkedIn
• Stakeholder Whispering by Bill Shander (also available to members in the IIBA Digital Library+)
• Bill Shander's Stakeholder Whispering course on LinkedInLearning (eligible for IIBA CDUs)
• Global Business Analysis Day, November 5–6 (our annual 24-hour, free virtual event): Global Business Analysis Day 2026 | Enabling Confidence | IIBA
• Learn more about our business analysis community: iiba.org
Business Analysis Live is hosted by Susan Moore, CommunityEngagement Manager with the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). We talk with business analysis professionals about business analysis topics and answer questions from our live audience.
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The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is anon-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice andcertifications.
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