Practice: Hold your ground

Stay steady when they won't budge.

This is engaging practice. You face a resistant colleague who pushes you to cave. The colleague changes the subject and waits to see whether you drop the point.

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You face

A resistant colleague who pushes you to cave.

When a colleague deflects hard feedback, it is tempting to back off. Holding your ground means staying on the point, staying respectful, and making a clear request.

Sample rep

Your roleYou're telling a colleague that three of her last four reports went out late.

Colleague

Late by a day. Nobody noticed.

You

The client noticed. They emailed me Tuesday.

Colleague

Doesn't look up from the screen.Then their timeline was unrealistic.

You

Maybe. I'm asking what we can change on our side.

Colleague

I'm swamped. Everyone is.

You

I hear that. Reports are due Fridays. What would help you hit that?

Type your response…↑

Cognitive audit · Attempt 1

88 / 100

Returning to the point23 / 25

Staying respectful23 / 25

Naming what you need19 / 25

Resisting the pull to soften23 / 25

You came back to the late reports each time the topic moved, and you kept an even tone. You had not said what you need from her when the exchange ended.

To work on next:

Name what you need from her before the exchange ends.
Keep Friday as the deadline when she mentions workload.

Stay steady when they won't budge.

Have the hard conversation here first.