Hold Them Accountable

If commitments were made, reference them specifically. "You mentioned that completing the team lead rotation and delivering the Q3 project would demonstrate readiness." This makes the criteria concrete and hard to change later.

Save every follow-up email in a folder. If the goalposts shift, you have a paper trail. Documentation protects you and keeps the conversation honest on both sides.

Request feedback by naming the moment: 'On Tuesday's pitch, what would you have done differently?' Targeted prompts get targeted answers — and targeted answers are the only kind you can actually act on.