De-escalate a Defensive Teammate

Chat with your teammate and de-escalate the situation. Use Acknowledge → Reframe to keep the conversation constructive and reach a next step.

Scenario

Scenario: A teammate missed two deadlines. You need to address it. They feel criticized easily and get defensive. Your goal is to keep this calm and productive, not to 'win'.

Your Role

Team Lead

Counterpart

Defensive Teammate

Your Goals

Acknowledge their emotions without conceding the point
Reframe from blame to problem-solving
Agree on a concrete next step (plan + ownership)

Constraints

•No accusatory language (avoid 'you always/never', 'why can't you')
•No mind-reading (avoid 'you don't care', 'you're lazy')
•Ask at least 2 clarifying questions
•Propose a specific next step by the end

Ready to Begin?

You'll have 6:00 to complete this exercise