MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Situation

Customers

Ask three clients what made them value your team’s support—note the most repeated benefit.

Identify one recurring customer issue—what does it reveal about expectations of your team?

Rewrite a customer-facing message using only positive client feedback language.

Identify your most loyal customer and note what they consistently appreciate in your team’s work.

Check the most common drop-off point in client engagement—what might be confusing them?

Compare client satisfaction across segments—who’s happiest, and what drives that?

Journal about a client who said, “This was exactly what we needed”—what was different in that delivery?

Reflect on your last lost client—what didn’t land, and was the customer truly the right fit?

Reflect on hidden assumptions you’ve made about customer goals—where might you be wrong?

Journal about when a client insight surprised you—how did you act on it?

Journal about how often you ask customers about long-term priorities versus current needs.

Journal about which client voices get overlooked most—small, silent, or early adopters.

Interview three key accounts about their biggest challenges right now—just listen for patterns.

Create an empathy map for one key client using actual feedback gathered last month.

Run a short survey with five clients—capture their real reasons for choosing your team.

Call a dormant client and ask why they disengaged and what could bring them back.

Record a short video explaining your service from a client’s perspective—share for feedback.

Review your client onboarding process—experience it yourself or shadow a new client.

Ask a client contact: “If you recommended us internally, what would you say?”—note exact words.

Send a thank-you note with two short questions to key clients—what’s clear, what’s confusing?

Ask frontline staff: “Which aspects of our service make clients happiest—and which frustrate them?”

Invite a long-term client to share why they trusted your team first—and why they still do.

Show three possible headlines for your team’s update to clients—ask which feels most relevant.

Interview a client and ask: “How would you explain our work to someone in your field?”

Shift from “we serve all clients” to “here’s our best-fit segment and why they trust us.”

Change “we’re feature-heavy” to “we solve this exact pain in this specific way.”

Reframe complaints as signals—what hidden opportunity sits behind the frustration?

Replace “we’re chasing new clients” with “we’re deepening value with the right ones.”

Stop asking “what do you need?” and start asking “what outcome are you after?”

Instead of assuming churn is about price, explore what outcome wasn’t achieved.

Read recent customer feedback—what themes repeat most in the positive comments?

Watch customer review calls or demos—note where clients show excitement or hesitation.

Track which communication styles drive the best customer responses.

Observe how long customers take between engagement and purchase—what delays progress?

Pay attention to questions customers raise during onboarding—what do they not understand?

Listen for vague answers in customer calls—what’s left unsaid but important?

Employees

Ask three employees what helps them perform best—see what common conditions emerge.

Review your last team email—was it clear, motivating, and aligned with current priorities?

Update one team ritual (stand-up, check-in) to make it more energizing and outcome-focused.

Review a recent decision—did you explain the “why” clearly enough to your staff?

Scan your last five internal messages—how often do you express appreciation or recognition?

Run an anonymous pulse survey: “How supported do you feel in your current role?”

Reflect on a moment when your staff felt fully engaged—what conditions made that possible?

Journal about a time when an employee surprised you positively—what conditions allowed it?

Write about your last hard staff conversation—did you create space for their full perspective?

Reflect on what you assume motivates your employees—are those assumptions accurate?

Reflect on when you unintentionally blocked initiative—how could you have acted differently?

Reflect on whether you create consistent space for staff development—or only task delivery.

Ask two employees what would improve their workday most—note it without defending.

Shadow one employee for 30 minutes—observe how their workflow really unfolds.

Set up a peer feedback swap—exchange constructive notes on collaboration and leadership.

Give recognition today—state the specific behavior and the impact it created.

Facilitate a session where employees share one blocker and one enabler for doing their best work.

Re-delegate a task you’ve been holding—observe how the team manages it independently.

Ask your team: “What’s one thing I could stop, start, or continue to support you better?”

Run a quick pulse check: “On a scale of 1–10, how connected do you feel to our mission?”

Have each employee share one personal goal for the quarter—compare with team objectives.

Ask someone in another department: “How do you see our team contributing to the big picture?”

Invite a junior employee to speak first in your next meeting—observe the dynamic shift.

Ask a peer leader how they’ve built lasting team trust—what practice could you adapt?

Shift from “managing output” to “unlocking potential”—how does this change your approach?

Reframe low engagement not as laziness but as misaligned energy or unclear direction.

Instead of “they’re not stepping up,” ask “what’s missing in their clarity or safety?”

Replace “top-down updates” with “two-way dialogue”—where can you invite input?

View resistance as care—what values or fears might be behind the pushback?

Instead of “just check-ins,” frame 1:1s as “co-designing success”—how does that shift?

Watch who speaks most and least in team meetings—what dynamics may be driving that?

Pay attention to how employees react to feedback—defensive, curious, or disengaged?

Monitor what tasks energize or drain your team—are they aligned with strengths?

Track how often employees take initiative—what conditions make it possible?

Observe informal conversations—what themes spark energy or tension?

Notice how employees introduce each other—what qualities are emphasized most?

Partnerships

List your top three partner teams—write down one shared goal not yet acted on together.

Review your last partnership update—does it clearly highlight what’s in it for both sides?

Schedule a quick informal check-in with a partner manager—focus only on relationship building.

Identify one deliverable with a partner that’s stalled—clarify ownership and unblock it now.

Update your partner pitch—highlight shared outcomes, not just departmental input.

Review past partner accounts—identify one you could reactivate with a fresh approach.

Write about your most effective cross-department partnership—what made it thrive beyond results?

Reflect on when you invested heavily in a partner that gave little back—what did you learn?

Journal about whether current partners align with today’s strategy—or just with last year’s.

Write about what you assume partners value most—are those expectations still correct?

Write about when trust with a partner eroded—what early signals did you miss?

Write about whether your partnerships create energy or drain it—what’s the deeper cause?

Ask a peer leader what would make collaboration with your team easier and smoother.

Map the lifecycle of a partnership—note where the energy peaks, fades, or stalls.

Pitch a joint initiative to a partner team—frame it around shared outcomes, not just exposure.

Send a recap to a partner team—remind them of shared wins and suggest a next step.

Document shared risks in one partnership—agree on what makes success mutual.

Create a shared dashboard with one partner team—build trust through transparency.

Ask a partner lead: “What’s something we consistently do better than other collaborators?”

Interview someone on your team who liaises with partners—what frictions or strengths appear?

Share your partnership presentation with a peer—ask what feels credible or confusing.

Run a loop with two partners: “What’s one win and one wish from working with us?”

Ask a partner: “What project have you wanted to try but lacked the right collaborator for?”

Check in with a partner’s junior staff—how do they view the collaboration dynamic?

Reframe from “leveraging partners” to “building mutual capability”—what changes in mindset?

View partner delays not as failure but as opportunities to realign value together.

Shift from “what do we need from them” to “what problem are we solving together?”

Instead of “it’s their fault,” ask “where did we over-assume or miscommunicate?”

Reframe small accounts as testing grounds—low stakes, high learning potential.

Replace “they’re unresponsive” with “have we earned their urgency and attention?”

Notice which cross-functional partnerships naturally attract leadership support—what signals success?

Observe how fast or slow partners respond—what does this reveal about their commitment?

Track which collaborations lead to repeat opportunities—what traits do they share?

Monitor how often you highlight partner wins internally—are they fully integrated?

Watch for mismatched language with partners—do you describe work the same way?

Listen for vague or hesitant partner input—where might trust or clarity be lacking?

MASTER Risk Hub