Battlecard: “Can’t you just tell us exactly what to do?”
Use a concise response when a manager asks for certainty that would actually weaken their leadership.
A manager says they want exact wording for a difficult announcement so they do not get caught out by questions. Can’t you just tell us exactly what to do and say? I’ll give you the headline, but you also need the why, the trade-off, what is fixed, and what is still open. Your team won’t only ask scripted questions; they’ll ask what this means. It validates the need for clarity while holding the line on what actually equips a manager to lead through uncertainty. Affirms the desire for clarity instead of mocking it. Explains why a script alone fails under…
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