Strategic Collaboration

This does not mean being passive. It means being strategically collaborative. Start by understanding their position fully — not to find holes in it, but to genuinely grasp their reasoning. People who feel heard become flexible; people who feel attacked dig in and bring backup.

Ask: "Help me understand your thinking on this." Then actually listen. You will often find the disagreement is about assumptions, not conclusions. Once you line up on the same facts, the right answer becomes obvious to both of you — and the number you were afraid to name starts feeling like a logical next step.