Question

Mason and his boss, Darius, are having a conversation about how much time Mason should be
devoting to a particular client. Darius wants Mason to devote 75% of his time at work to the client,
but Mason feels his time would be better spent searching for new clients. Which of the following
would be the best way for Mason to express his disagreement?
1. "You don't know this client as well as I do. If you did, you would know that would be a waste
of time."
2. "I feel the company would benefit more if I spent my time searching out new business."
3. "That client is a waste of time, and you're blind if you think they aren't going to leave."
4. "You're wrong for thinking that having me spend more time on that client is going to keep
the client's business."

Answer 1

2.

It’s professional, non‑confrontational, focuses on the company’s interests and offers an alternative rather than attacking Darius personally — which makes it far more likely to lead to a constructive discussion.