ChatGPT as a Thinking and Planning Partner
Lesson 3: Perspective-Taking
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
- Use ChatGPT to simulate a specific stakeholder's perspective on a plan
- Identify likely concerns, resistance points, and what people need to hear
- Apply perspective-taking before communicating major decisions
- Understand the limits of simulated perspective vs. actual stakeholder input
Lesson Content
The stakeholder simulation.
"I am planning to [decision]. Act as a [specific stakeholder â€" e.g., a mid-level manager who has been with the company 12 years, values stability, and is skeptical of change]. Tell me: (1) What is my immediate reaction? (2) What are my top concerns? (3) What am I unlikely to say out loud but will think? (4) What would need to be true for me to feel genuinely positive?"
Specificity improves the simulation.
A vague stakeholder ("an employee") produces a generic response. Specific details â€" role, tenure, values, relationship to change â€" produce a more targeted, useful perspective.
Using perspective-taking to improve communication.
"Based on what you told me about their perspective, help me: (1) what they most need to hear, (2) what concerns to proactively address, (3) what to avoid saying â€" messages that will backfire, and (4) what the most important question I should invite them to ask is."
The critical limitation: simulation is not data.
ChatGPT's simulated perspective is based on general reasoning about how people in similar roles typically respond â€" not knowledge of your specific colleagues. The simulation is a useful starting point for formulating better real conversations â€" not a replacement for actual stakeholder input.
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