Create an invisible controllable maze placed over their reality to direct and influence while maintaining the illusion they are making their own decisions. Diversity and perspectives from all angles. Cascading influence coupled with transparency and accountability.
Homework to do on participant/meeting attendants:
Strengths, weaknesses, tendencies, work ethic...
Influence value with corporate leaders
Influence value with workers on the labor side
How do they want to be perceived in front of their peers?
Discover and understand their own professional/personal goals/intentions
Tribal knowledge (workplace)
Know who their friends/enemies/acquaintances are.
For meetings;
No backup. Go on your own. Most bring bosses or other managers when trying to push something. Do it by yourself and their guards will be lower and easier to direct when not thinking something is about to go down. Be sure there people of influence are in the room. Ones that talk with people that most do not have access to influence. Stimulate and direct imagination with visual graphs and charts. Explain simply and show impact of recent changes to increase participation. Explain how numbers are derived to increase empowerment and confidence. Seeing through eyes of management. 3 moves ahead on every conversation for every point to be covered or potentially to arise due to direction. Ending 3rd move with answer and solution moving forward. Each conversation or point to be worded to have same or seed solution to queue certain individuals in group to speak up and finish off with solution and more participation/buy in. (their idea my execution). Have all information already available or quick and easy to pull up to allow conversations and ideas to flow.
Always look to future state. All answers are not needed. The end goal or direction change is most important. Pay attention to body language and tension to stay in that sweet spot the whole time. Indirectly expose actual weak links through transparency of data. Rinse and repeat. Each time easier as you understand more and more about the participants and more and more are working towards your goal. Use this for good and make sure you know what you are doing and actually accomplish what you say or your credibility and power will disappear.