Prepare the next conversation, session or decision.
Work through these 10 steps and choose the actions relevant to your situation. The pitfalls are illustrative examples, not customer quotations. Use the checklist on screen or print it for your preparation.
Define the request
Illustrative pitfall
“We asked for support without describing the work required.”
- State the specific action or decision you need.
- Explain why it matters now.
- Identify what is flexible and what is constrained.
Understand their priorities
Illustrative pitfall
“Our urgent request ignored their committed delivery work.”
- Ask what the other team is accountable for.
- Explore workload, deadlines and dependencies.
- Avoid assuming reluctance means resistance to the goal.
Find the shared purpose
Illustrative pitfall
“Each team defended its task instead of the wider outcome.”
- Identify the customer or business outcome you share.
- Explain how the request supports it.
- Check whether the other team sees the same connection.
Map decision ownership
Illustrative pitfall
“We negotiated with someone who could not approve the trade-off.”
- Identify who can agree scope, resources or timing.
- Clarify your own authority.
- Include the relevant owner before commitments are made.
Prepare credible evidence
Illustrative pitfall
“A strong opinion stood in for an impact assessment.”
- Gather verified information about the need.
- Label estimates and assumptions.
- Explain consequences without exaggerating them.
Offer realistic options
Illustrative pitfall
“The only proposal was for the other team to work harder.”
- Prepare more than one feasible route.
- Describe the effort and trade-offs of each.
- Include a smaller step or sequencing option where useful.
Make the exchange explicit
Illustrative pitfall
“Agreement concealed who would absorb the extra work.”
- Explain what each team would contribute.
- Discuss what must move or stop.
- Record conditions rather than relying on goodwill alone.
Respond to concerns
Illustrative pitfall
“Every objection was treated as something to overcome.”
- Ask which part of the proposal is difficult.
- Test whether an adjustment addresses the concern.
- Accept constraints that cannot be changed by persuasion.
Escalate constructively
Illustrative pitfall
“Escalation became a complaint about the other team.”
- Present the decision, options and unresolved trade-off.
- Involve the agreed decision-maker.
- Keep the account factual and respectful.
Follow through
Illustrative pitfall
“Agreement in the meeting never became action in the teams.”
- Confirm owners, dates and dependencies.
- Communicate the decision to affected colleagues.
- Review commitments and adjust transparently if circumstances change.
Put it to work
Turn the checklist into focused practice.
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