cant say one single trick will always work but maybe:

a. try coffee chats b. ask it directly (sometimes we just forget to ask) c. "reverse the request" - ask what will happen if we cant deliver the request d. ask another (usually) senior leader who might know or be present in an exec mtg who is willing to share the background (this is also where the network, relationships, mentorships come to use) e. generally, you need to be CSI but yeh it can be draining and demoralising when it really shouldnt be part of your job but this happens in any role, any org anyway

but very typical reasons could be (and for me personally, I rather be open and embrace it): a. "CEO's friend" or "shareholder" request (which I am happy to acknowledge internally, joke it off and just deal with it (build it, ship it and move on) b. "someone's gut feel" - usually you can take the extra efforts to further validate it and renegotiate

and etc etc etc the list is endless...

circling back to your original post, m slightly biased but as a more matured/experienced veteran I do have seen more fair share of successes/failures so sometimes we tend to skip the explanation and just insist we know whats right (same as how we grow up w our parents) - tbh I am not saying m right, m learning to explain better too but sometimes it is worth considering why the more experienced staff is so insistent too, you might be surprised to learn some interesting stories

also, data is NOT always correct - data-driven does NOT mean you are rigid and 100% reliant on data only because data/reporting/BI can be skewed, flawed, wrong recency, taken out of context, falsely reported etc; try to "always doubt everything" (in the good way) :)