High-Stakes Communication
A partner misunderstands a key instruction and copies the wrong template. How do you clarify without blaming?
Offer a polite clarification using neutral, non-blaming language.
A partner wants direct answers, another prefers subtle communication. How do you adapt?
Adjust tone for each partner while keeping clarity.
A key speaker cancels the day before a workshop. What’s your emergency plan?
Propose backup speakers, rescheduling, or agenda shifts.
Say aloud a diplomatic way to ask someone to reply faster next time.
Use polite future-oriented phrasing.
Two institutions disagree on deliverable scope. How do you realign objectives?
Clarify expectations and propose a shared definition.
You must communicate an unpleasant delay in your project. How do you soften the message while staying transparent?
Give a diplomatic explanation plus a constructive next step.
A partner finds your communication style “too direct.” How do you rebuild trust?
Apologize briefly and adopt a softer tone going forward.
A visiting student panics due to an administrative visa issue. How do you support them?
Show empathy, explain steps, and contact the right office.
A partner sends an aggressive-sounding email. How do you reply politely?
De-escalate tone and address the issue neutrally.
Partners propose unrealistic deadlines. How do you negotiate something realistic?
Present constraints and suggest a workable timeline.
You realise mid-meeting that you’ve been talking at cross-purposes with a partner. How do you reset the conversation?
Pause, summarise both positions, and ask for confirmation.
You must give constructive feedback to someone from a culture avoiding explicit criticism. How?
Use indirect, positive-framed feedback.
An online meeting collapses because the host loses connection. How do you take control?
Create a new link or temporarily lead the session.
You must refuse a request from a high-status partner. How do you say "no" diplomatically?
Decline politely and offer an alternative if possible.
Your team must choose a communication tool (Teams, Zoom, Slack…). How do you facilitate the decision?
Compare needs and propose criteria.
A colleague interrupts you repeatedly during an international meeting. How do you take back the floor diplomatically?
Use polite interruption phrases to regain speaking time.
An international team expects you to lead conflict resolution. How do you proceed respectfully?
Facilitate calmly, reformulate, and balance perspectives.
A partner delivers wrong data just before a deadline. How do you handle this constructively?
Identify errors without blame and propose corrections.
A colleague wrote a too-direct email. Reformulate it in a more international tone.
Use softer modal verbs and diplomatic phrasing.
Funding cuts require revising the project. How do you present the new strategy?
Explain constraints clearly and focus on priorities.
A senior partner publicly questions your figures. How do you defend your point calmly while preserving the relationship?
Present evidence calmly and invite collaborative verification.
Partners misinterpret each other’s tone due to cultural norms. How do you reset communication?
Explicitly clarify intentions and reframe misunderstandings.
Two institutions blame each other for a major failure. You must mediate under pressure. What do you say/do?
Reframe the issue toward solutions and shared responsibility.
Your team missed a deadline. Deliver a spoken version of a balanced apology + solution.
Apologize concisely and present a recovery plan
You lead a meeting where stakeholders have conflicting priorities. How do you structure it successfully?
Use clear agenda, time control, and neutral moderation.