How would you address a situation where a senior stakeholder questions your expertise in front of your team?

Feedback is a gift! Not all the feedback that one gets in their work life will always be positive or constructive. As one grows senior, there can be situations wherein feedback comes in different manners - one being questioned on his/her expertise by a senior stakeholder, getting direct negative feedback from one's manager or being at the receiving end of an average performance appraisal. It's important to maintain your calm, and seek clarity on the feedback. Be an active listener and avoid challenging it / being defensive about it. Analyse data points related to the feedback and work on your action plan. Seek a later opportunity to be able to showcase your competency and earn back your credibility.

This situation requires maintaining professionalism, calmness, composure and assertiveness. 1) Stay Calm and composed. This sets the tone for the rest of the team. 2) Listen Actively. This question is obviously stemming from a place of concern. Let them address it fully without interrupting. 3)Acknowledge the stakeholder's concern to validate their perspectives. 4)Without being defensive, cite examples how similar challenges were handled successfully in the past. Respond confidently with facts, solutions and statements that support your team's capability. 5)Stay professional and proactively suggest a follow up meeting to further discuss and address their concerns, after this meeting. 6)Make sure you follow up on the agreed way forward.

I would approach the situation by 1. Firstly stay calm and composed 2. Active listening understand the context 3. Acknowledge/respect 4. Depending on situation and time at hand provide evidence/data and or schedule a follow up 5. Follow up 6. Don't be defensive 7. Be transparent, honest, open

Based on my experience, here's how I would approach the situation: 1. Avoid Defensiveness: Stay calm and composed, refraining from becoming defensive. 2. Foster Openness: Listen actively to the stakeholder’s concerns and try to understand their perspective, as everyone speaks from their own experiences. 3. Engage in Active Listening: Truly listen to uncover any points or problems that might have been overlooked or unanticipated, which could provide valuable insights. 4. Practice Respect: Acknowledge that all stakeholders, including myself, are working towards a common goal. Show respect for their viewpoint and emphasize the importance of hearing all perspectives to develop the best solution for the organization. 5. Respond Professionally

Know your triggers. If competence is one of your core beliefs about yourself and you are challenged by a senior stakeholder then it is important to pause, breathe and take stock. Is this challenge in a public meeting or a one-on-one? Instead of wading straight in to rebut the inference or direct challenge to your expertise one way to deal with the situation is to ask the person why would you say that? This approach of asking a question enables you to buy some time and also to put your challenger on the spot so that they have to collect their thoughts and justify their approach. Stay calm, composed and confident in your own ability.

While I truely have to hold myself back from immediately questioning the statement, a little quiet (or breathing) space before I ask or respond can have realised the stakeholder reflecting on what they intend and thereby assisting my next step(s).

Key skills to be an effective leader is the art to listen and time to act, calm head with situational awareness is key to build relationship and trust. Understanding the facts and emotions displayed by the individual or group of leaders helps to gather your response with fine touch

Give the stakeholder your full attention and practice active listening. Focus on understanding their concerns and perspective without interrupting. Take mental notes of specific points they raise. Demonstrate that you're engaged by maintaining eye contact, nodding when appropriate, and using verbal cues like "I see" or "I understand." This approach shows respect for the stakeholder's position and helps you gather crucial information to address their doubts effectively. Active listening also allows you to identify any underlying issues or misunderstandings that may be driving their questioning.

Once the stakeholder has expressed their concerns, seek clarification to ensure you fully understand their perspective. Ask open-ended questions to gain more insight into specific areas of doubt. For example, "Could you elaborate on your concerns regarding [specific aspect]?" or "What specific information would help address your doubts?" This approach demonstrates your willingness to engage in a constructive dialogue and shows that you value their input. It also helps you pinpoint the exact areas where you need to provide more information or evidence to support your expertise.

Present clear, concise evidence to support your expertise and decisions. This may include relevant data, case studies, industry benchmarks, or successful outcomes from similar projects. Be prepared with specific examples that demonstrate your knowledge and experience. If possible, relate your evidence to the stakeholder's specific concerns or objectives. Use visual aids or summary documents if appropriate. Remember to present this information confidently but without appearing defensive. Your goal is to educate and inform, not to prove the stakeholder wrong.

Answer with facts, data, metrics and evidence as much as possible, and not with feelings or emotions. If you do not have an immediate answer, it is alright to ask for a finite amount of time for a second check and notify the stakeholder.

Being a leader, receiving feedback is equally important over providing a feedback to an individual. Open to feedback allows to build the conversation in a fruitful way and opens avenues to share more insight of their observations and suggestions. It will improve culture around the business.

After presenting your evidence, actively seek feedback from the stakeholder. Ask if your explanation addresses their concerns or if they have any additional questions. This shows that you value their input and are open to constructive criticism. It also provides an opportunity to identify any remaining doubts or misunderstandings. Be prepared to listen without becoming defensive, even if the feedback is challenging. This approach demonstrates your commitment to continuous improvement and your ability to collaborate effectively with senior stakeholders.

I address such situations confidently and on the spot. By calmly providing key evidence of my knowledge and experience, I reinforce my credibility and maintain my team's trust. This demonstrates my ability to handle challenging situations professionally. It's essential to listen actively, respond with clarity, and always maintain a positive demeanor. This approach not only addresses the immediate challenge but also builds a foundation of trust and respect with both the stakeholder and my team.

I believe it depends on time when you face this situation i.e start of the project or during the execution. In both the situations keeping calm is important and never take it personally because your stakeholder might be having some context behind questioning your expertise. if it’s at the start of the project you may have to share your experience and expertise in managing similar projects in the past and if it’s during the execution switch to mode where you first seek to understand reasons and take feedback that might have triggered the situation and address it through follow-up calls and avoid justifying by explaining your skills and expertise. Once addressed get back to your teams explaining how it was addressed to close the loop.

If you have been called out openly infront of the team, then firstly and importantly, consider how unprofessional this is. Particularly if it comes across personally. Dont inflate the issue, and therefore instead of direct, open conflict. Assert your position calmly by giving a short example of how you are in control of the situation, but that you would now prefer to take the matter offline, between the 2 of you directly. Follow up with a short session with your team to summarise the offline discussion and provide documented actions/notes for next steps that you agreed with the 3rd party