MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Mindset

Cognitive Adaptability

Read a viewpoint opposite to yours on service trends—summarize its strongest point in one sentence.

Pause and ask: “What’s another way to see this?” when reacting strongly to a client request.

Choose one habit today to do differently—change the order, method, or tool you normally use.

Read an article from a field outside your own—note one idea you could apply directly to your services.

Challenge your default choice in a low-stakes task—try the opposite to stretch mental flexibility.

Use the phrase “That’s interesting—tell me more” when someone challenges your approach or scope.

Emotional Adaptability

When emotions rise with a client, pause and name the feeling—labeling it reduces its control over you.

Use a grounding question during stress: “What emotion am I feeling, and is it helping right now?”

Replace a reactive message with a calmer one—pause to edit before pressing send to a client.

Repeat the phrase “I choose how I respond” before entering a tense or potentially difficult situation.

Smile or breathe deeply before responding to frustrating news—reset your emotional tone first.

Do a quick body scan during pressure—what emotion sits in your shoulders, neck, or chest?

Behavioral Adaptability

In your next meeting, change your usual style—speak less if you dominate, more if you usually don’t.

Adjust your workday by shifting one recurring routine—notice what happens when you break a pattern.

Choose to observe one entire conversation before speaking—adapt to the group’s rhythm before you join.

Say “yes” to something you’d normally decline—respond differently and document what happens next.

Try a different feedback style today—if direct, use inquiry; if soft, be more clear and structured.

Work in a new location or setting for half a day—track how it shifts your focus and behavior.

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