How to Get Your Boss's Boss to Understand

Use an anonymous, live polling before open discussion. That avoids participants forming an opinion too early and defending it in front of colleagues. Cut down groupthink before it occurs.

Understanding the decision maker's personality is not enough. We need to understand the personality profiles of the decision maker's inner circle and how that group behaves under pressure. Before your next major recommendation, identify who the decision maker actually turns to when things get uncertain.

I use a double diamond for exactly this moment. Just as the group settles into what looks like consensus, reopen divergence deliberately. Ask a pointed question that reintroduces a dropped option. Or bring back an earlier dissenting voice and ask that person to restate their concern. Run the group through a second, smaller diamond before you close.

Every major decision relies on an inner circle of trusted advisors.

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