Before I write a project charter, before I schedule a kickoff, before I touch a timeline, I map the stakeholders. Not just who they are, but what they care about, what they're afraid of, who they trust, and where they disagree. This takes about 3-5 conversations and a half day of synthesis. It saves weeks of rework downstream.
Takeaway
Most consultants start with the work. I start with the people. Because the work is never what's stuck. What's stuck is the misalignment between the people who need to agree on what the work even is.