Task
- A colleague is locked into a position: “We cannot change the product
because we will miss the deadline.”
- You have serious concerns about this position.
- You cannot walk away; you are the go-to person and results
matters.
- What is the best way to proceed?
Feedback
- Start by acknowledging the value driving their position (e.g.,
shipping on time, reliability, professionalism).
- Ask questions that surface other values they likely care about, such
as safety, quality, cost, customer trust, or team reputation.
- Frame the situation as a value tradeoff rather than a
right-versus-wrong dispute.
- Use questions to invite them into a higher-order identity (e.g.,
responsible steward, problem-solver, team hero).
- Avoid logic-heavy rebuttals; pure reasoning often fails against
fixed positions.
- A strong response affirms the deadline while opening space for
reconsideration, for example:
- “Shipping on time is really important. How should we weigh that
against quality and customer impact here?”
- “If this causes issues later, how would that reflect on us as a
team?”
- “Is there a way to protect the deadline and still address the
risk?”
- “What would being the responsible choice look like in this
case?”