KaliKo -

My company is in an industry that, in general, is very traditional and even old-school at times so while I hope we can get to a day where interventions don't get selected before the need is clearly identified, it's not easy to do within the context of our organization.

I don't look at it as doing my job in vain but in doing what I can to influence the client toward the right path by finding a connection between what intervention the client wants with what the client really needs.

In other words, if I can find the example he wants before I meet with him, I can use it as a bridge to finding what they really need by asking what it is about that specific activity that is so memorable to him and what he expects his team to get out of it.

In the classes I have taken on needs assessments, I have found many others also have challenges with a lack of needs assessments in their organizations. How does your organization get the buy in necessary for needs assessments?

This is a 10 minute conversation. Trying to get buy-in for a needs assessment is not the issue in this particular situation. You just need 10 minutes to get a simple answer to a simple question (posted earlier). In any case, in this situation, the buy-in is that you're trying to get a hold of what this guy wants and try to deliver it. The only way to do that is to talk directly with him. Traditional structure or not, you're the one doing the work and you deserve some of his time to figure out what the heck he's talking about. If you cannot see at least that much, then no amount of other strategy will help. You first have to realize that you deserve some face time.

Agree with LoveLearning. The posted question is not a needs identification question as presently stated. I don't think you need this activity in order to have a discussion with him about what he is trying to accomplish in that meeting. (The picture I get of this guy is that all the "educating" in the world will fall on deaf ears. He's not much of a learner. Nor does he want to learn. I'll bet he is really not even clear on what the purpose of the meeting is - or should be. The fact that he presents himself as so dreadfully busy that he can't even talk with you for 10 minutes is a dead giveaway that he is disorganized mentally at the very least. He seems to be the perfect example of someone who was promoted beyond his level of competence and is trying to hide it with busyness. He pretends to be busy so that no one can expect too much of him. Otherwise, they might find out how little he knows about things.) With people like this you need to learn to ignore what he says he wants and instead go find out what it is he needs. Then tell him.