The Human Approach

We help organizations make real progress on tough
questions by accounting for their 'human factor'.

We help organizations make real progress on tough questions by accounting for their 'human factor'.

Our Process

As experienced consultants, we know that polished decks don’t change the world:
humans are the driving force of change. That’s why we approach this work as partners and ensure that those who will implement initiatives always have a seat at the table.

As experienced consultants, we know that polished decks don’t change the world: humans are the driving force of change. That’s why we approach this work as partners and ensure that those who will implement initiatives always have a seat at the table.

Analyze Current
Efforts & Resistance

Analysis of Current Efforts & Resistance

Initial conversations help us understand the question at hand—we'll ask about past effort and define a 'win' would look like. These conversations help us understand your system of stakeholders and who we will need to bring to the table.

Example methods we've drawn on in the past:

One-on-one interviews with internal stakeholders to understand the current state of things
Mapping stakeholder networks to discern key players, highlighting power dynamics and sources of resistance
Analysis of past efforts and current trends to identify critical questions and articulate what success looks like

Example methods we've drawn on in the past:

One-on-one interviews with internal stakeholders to understand the current state of things
Mapping stakeholder networks to discern key players, highlighting power dynamics and sources of resistance
Analysis of past efforts and current trends to identify critical questions and articulate what success looks like

Design Your Panel
of Stakeholders

Design your advisory board

Next, we curate a powerful panel of stakeholders to deliver on your challenge or opportunity, including internal stakeholders, contributors from our network, and those who may need to be engaged ahead of time or understood and represented in unique ways.

Sample of stakeholder panels we've convened:

Panels to uncover unexpected and innovative strategies, comprising diverse voices, such as subject matter experts, cross-functional team members, and 'out-of-the-box thinkers.'
Panels to mediate and reduce conflict on sensitive subjects, aligning burdened, hard-to-engage, or reluctant contributors, advocates, and representatives.
Panels to pressure-test and de-risk strategies, bringing specialists, adversarial thinkers, and mavericks to the table to uncover vulnerabilities and proactively mitigate risk.

Sample of stakeholder panels we've convened:

Panels to uncover unexpected and innovative strategies, comprising diverse voices, such as subject matter experts, cross-functional team members, and 'out-of-the-box thinkers.'
Panels to mediate and reduce conflict on sensitive subjects, aligning burdened, hard-to-engage, or reluctant contributors, advocates, and representatives.
Panels to pressure-test and de-risk strategies, bringing specialists, adversarial thinkers, and mavericks to the table to uncover vulnerabilities and proactively mitigate risk.

Convene Sessions

Drawing on our experience in leading change and our expertise in negotiation, coalition building, and conflict management, we design and facilitate custom stakeholder sessions to identify leverage points, uncover resistance, and build buy-in.

Examples of custom-design sessions we've facilitated:

Half-day workshop to generate leadership alignment using multi-stakeholder mediation methods to uncover conflicting perspectives and shared goals, revealing unconventional solutions that gain buy-in from competing parties
One- to two-day workshops tailored to teams with conflicting goals, pre-interviewing and convening diverging voices to identify and prioritize leverage points, cross-referenced through rapid feedback from adjacent stakeholders
Series of sessions to design policies and programs with multi-stakeholder implications, iteratively engaging trained expert and lateral thinkers through various mediums to highlight vulnerabilities and de-risk strategies

Examples of custom-design sessions we've facilitated:

Half-day workshop to generate leadership alignment using multi-stakeholder mediation methods to uncover conflicting perspectives and shared goals, revealing unconventional solutions that gain buy-in from competing parties
One- to two-day workshops tailored to teams with conflicting goals, pre-interviewing and convening diverging voices to identify and prioritize leverage points, cross-referenced through rapid feedback from adjacent stakeholders
Series of sessions to design policies and programs with multi-stakeholder implications, iteratively engaging trained expert and lateral thinkers through various mediums to highlight vulnerabilities and de-risk strategies

Develop Action Plan

We synthesize the data to develop strategies grounded in stakeholder research. Whether through a revised program, a pressure-tested policy, or an actionable roadmap, we ensure that you feel confident taking the next step.

llustrations of outputs we delivered:

Actionable roadmap for developing a stable revenue stream
Revised offering for a languishing project team with clear next steps for leadership
Risk assessment of current programs + outline of solutions for reducing vulnerabilities
A proposed policy or program that has been vetted for vulnerability to bad actors
Alignment of disconnected executive teams on vision following a big organizational change

llustrations of outputs we delivered:

Actionable roadmap for developing a stable revenue stream
Revised offering for a languishing project team with clear next steps for leadership
Risk assessment of current programs + outline of solutions for reducing vulnerabilities
A proposed policy or program that has been vetted for vulnerability to bad actors
Alignment of disconnected executive teams on vision following a big organizational change

Working with Us

We provide a broad range of engagement options
tailored to the scale of your organization's needs.

We provide a broad range of engagement options tailored to the scale of your organization's needs.

Mediation & Conflict Resolution

Stakeholder engagement to...

... negotiate between diverging perspectives & conficting goals

Ideal for clients with stakeholders that aren't aligned; anything from two CEOs that can't see eye-to-eye to multiple conflicting communities impeding breakthrough on an initiative.

Typical activities include

• 1-on-1 coaching

• 360º Feedback interviews

•. Need identification sessions

•. Conflict Mediation, co-designed with involved parties

Typical deliverables include

•. Alignment on a path forward

•. Identification of resistance factors

•. Recommendations for building working relationships

Past Example

A financial organization's was experiencing a significant decrease in productivity and employee retention. The Human Factor facilitated co-design sessions with management, employees, and our experts on structures for dynamically addressing conflict.

Stakeholder Research

Stakeholder engagement to...

... add data to a problem or opportunity, decoding pain points & identifying levers

Ideal for clients confronted with a lot of ambiguity, looking for guidance on critical factors to weigh when making decisions about their next moves.

Typical activities include

• Data gathering with 1-on-1 interviews, focus groups, site visits & surveying
• Qualitative & quantitative analysis
• Co-Design with key stakeholders
• Vulnerability testing

Typical deliverables include

• Alignment on a path forward

• Identification of resistance factors

• Recommendations for building working relationships

Past Example

Schools across the U.S. were experiencing unprecedented challenges stemming from student's use of novel technologies. The Human Factor helped them fact-check their assumptions engaging 1000+ stakeholders, to inform solutions with legs.

Co-design sessions that convene diverse panels of experts to generate, prioritize, and/or refine solutions. Field test solutions with hard-to-reach stakeholders to de-risk next steps.

Strategy & Implementation

Stakeholder engagement to...

... negotiate between diverging perspectives & conficting goals

Ideal for clients looking to tackle big challenges or opportunities with multiple stakeholder perspectives to consider & align.

Typical activities include all research activities

+ Expanded co-design workshops

+ Red team panels & pressure testing

+ Process development

+ Training

Typical deliverables include

• Prototyped process or solution

• Implementation support, including recommendations and/or training for building new capabilities

Past Example

A government entity was defining a new process that fit their complex organizational realities. The Human Factor ran experiments with stakeholders to identify, test, and train on the best new process.

Speaking & Training

Beyond her strategic role as founder and managing partner at The Human Factor, Rachel Moore Best teaches graduate-level negotiation courses at MIT.

Rachel regularly travels the U.S. and Europe to deliver corporate training, skill development workshops, and keynotes to clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to Ivy League colleges, educating organizations on the science of power and infuence and offering guidance on confict management and negotiation. Sessions are tailored to the audience and include foundational theory and corresponding practical application skills

Past formats include, 1-on-1 or group coaching, skill-building workshop, corporate training, podcasts, conferences, and keynotes

Past topics include, Creating Value & Building Deals, Confict Mediation, Leading with Infuence, Negotiation, Infuence & Advocacy for Technical Leaders, and Women in Negotiation

Read about Rachel's lecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, listen to a podcast or watch this recording of a lecture she taught.

Listen to the podcast

Read about the lecture

+1 (857) 220-7050‬

131 Dartmouth St.Boston, MA 02116