Consulting Conversations

Senior client challenges your recommendation

Advanced · 25 minutes

Situation brief

During a steering committee meeting, the sponsor questions whether your recommendation is practical and says your analysis underestimates implementation disruption.

Your role

Engagement manager presenting a transformation recommendation

Counterparty

Executive client sponsor who challenges assumptions publicly

Objective

Respond with composure, address the risk and maintain confidence in a considered recommendation.

Constraints

Some assumptions require validation; you must not dismiss operational experience or invent evidence.

Evaluation criteria

Structured thinking Stakeholder sensitivity Executive presence Recommendation clarity Handling ambiguity Trusted advisor behaviour

Before you begin

Purpose

Practise the judgement, wording and next-step discipline required in a realistic business conversation.

Psychological safety

This is a practice environment. Respond naturally rather than trying to write a perfect textbook answer.

How to respond

Write what you would actually say in the meeting. Specific examples, questions and commitments score better than theory.

Debrief

After the roleplay, you will complete a short reflection and receive a score, transcript, feedback and action plan.