Question 1 of 8 Someone proposes a measured policy change. The most common response in your room is…
Restate it as the extreme version and reject that. Question the proposer's track record first. Cite what an authority (analyst, CEO, McKinsey) says. Frame it as 'either we do this OR we do the opposite.'
Question 2 of 8 A junior employee raises a concern about a leader's decision. Most likely outcome:
Their tenure is referenced before their point is. The concern is restated more extremely and dismissed. A doom chain ('if we listen to this, then…') shuts it down. Someone says 'we don't have time for this,' loudly.
Question 3 of 8 Your strategy decks usually present big choices as…
A or B trade-offs. What the leading firms in our space are doing. Existential stakes — 'we must, or else.' Three to five options with explicit trade-offs.
Question 4 of 8 When a small experiment is proposed, the loudest objection sounds like…
'If we do this, next quarter they'll want…' 'That's not how serious companies operate.' 'We can't waste resources on experiments right now.' 'You always want to try untested things.'
Question 5 of 8 Your most persuasive presenter wins arguments mostly by…
Stirring language, urgency, war metaphors. Citing big names and big firms. Framing every choice as a binary they prefer. Quietly mischaracterizing the other side's case.
Question 6 of 8 When a decision turns out badly, the post-mortem most often blames…
The person who pushed it. The 'extreme' interpretation, not the actual choice. The advisor or framework, not the reasoning. An unavoidable cascade of consequences.
Question 7 of 8 What is hardest to do in your meetings?
Disagree with the most senior person on the merits. Propose a third option that isn't on the slide. Take a small, reversible risk without alarm. Lower the emotional temperature.
Question 8 of 8 Which sentence have you heard most often in your room this quarter?
'So what you're really saying is…' (and it isn't). 'With respect, you don't have the experience to…' 'This is a now-or-never moment.' 'If we don't move now, in six months we'll…'
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