Solo drill · Declarative steering
Give the Order
A hedged steering line appears — the maybes, the polls, the "if that's okay with everyone." Speak the declarative version: one plain sentence that sets a default and leaves the door ajar.
Two things are easy to conflate. A command is the expectation that someone will do what you ask. A decision is clarity as to what serves the situation. This drill trains decisions — owned out loud, with the door open.
A good rep
- One sentence, no question mark. The decision is stated, not floated.
- The door stays open. Declarative, not commanding — tone, or an "unless someone has a better idea," invites the push-back.
- Specific. A name, a clock, or a next step; "let's move on at some point" is still a hedge in a suit.
Optional The rubric — check a rep against the parts of an order, and the tone that carried it
A complete order can answer all five. Most table orders leave some implicit — know which you left out.
Was your tone…
Background: Deciding — the declarative default and the price of push-back.