Respect the request; investigate the reason
“We need Shopify,” “We need an app,” and “We need a new website” are solution statements. They may be correct, but they should be treated as hypotheses until the underlying need is understood.
| Question | Practical answer |
|---|---|
| Request | “Fix our checkout.” |
| Investigation | Where does checkout fail? Who is affected? How often? |
| Underlying problem | Critical conversion and operational issues in the existing setup. |
| Decision | Fix locally or move toward a more scalable platform? |
How to disagree professionally
Do not say “your idea is wrong.” Say “I see why this would solve the immediate problem. I also want to show you what happens if we look at the next 12–24 months.” That turns disagreement into a decision conversation.