The Scenario: You are walking to the elevator. A team member ambushes you. "Boss, Client X is asking for a refund. What should I do?"
The Trap: You stop. You think. You give the answer.
The Cost: You just saved 5 minutes, but you lost a leadership opportunity. You taught them: "When it gets hard, stop thinking and ask the Boss." You are training dependency.
The Neuro-Semantic Fix: The 'Process' Pivot
Instead of answering the Content (The refund), address the Process (Their thinking). Keep walking, but ask one of these 'Laser Coaching' questions:
- The Options Check: "What are three potential moves you've considered, and which one are you leaning toward?"
- The Criteria Check: "What is the most important outcome we need to protect with Client X?"
- The Pre-Supposition: "If I wasn't here, how would you handle this to make us proud?"
The Result
They might struggle for a second. Let them. That struggle is the sound of neural pathways forming. When they generate the answer, they own the solution.
