Catching curveballs like a debater
We’d reached an impasse. Three proposals, seven business school students, zero consensus. So we did the most democratic thing we could think of: we proposed, debated, and voted. Majority ruled. Project delivered. Done and dusted.
The real feedback came after.
One teammate spoke with me after class and said, “You know, I was surprised by how forceful you were. Like you already knew exactly what everyone else was going to say.” He meant it as a compliment (sort of). He also meant: that style works for you, but it caught me off guard.
Fair. As a debater, I’m used to moving fast. Objection, response, response to the response. But not everyone works that way. Sometimes, even when you’re right, the delivery can feel like a steamroller.
Still, he asked a good question: How do you get better at handling objections without sounding defensive or aggressive?
1. Problem, Plan, Proof (and Pre-emption)
Every good argument is just a clean story. You’ve got a problem that matters, a plan to solve it, and proof that your plan is actually going to work. I talked about that in my most recent TED Talk.
Most proposals fall apart because we forget to structure the case. People throw around opinions like confetti without anchoring them in the story of why this matters, what we should do, and how we know it’ll succeed. If you're arguing for a different budget priority, don't just say "I think we should spend more on marketing." Say:
The problem is declining brand recognition in a new target market.
The plan is reallocating a portion of ops spend to a targeted marketing pilot.
The proof is a competitor case study and early signal data from your own testing.
Simple. Clean. Persuasive.
But here’s the next step: pre-emption.
Don’t wait for someone to say “But what about...” Be the person who says it first. Acknowledge the most obvious flaws or tradeoffs in your plan before they get weaponized.
Pro tip: If ChatGPT can poke holes in your idea in 30 seconds, so can your boss, your board, or your best friend. Use AI to simulate objections. Then be ready.
2. Switch Sides (Yes, Actually)
Once you've made your case, put on the other team’s jersey.
Take your opponent’s view and steel man it. Not a caricature. Not a straw man. Build their best argument using the exact same structure: problem, plan, proof, pre-emption.
Say it out loud. You’ll hear what sounds persuasive. You’ll spot blind spots in your own logic. And you’ll model the kind of collaborative curiosity that people actually want to work with.
If you can argue both sides well, odds are you’ll land in a better middle ground or make your own position bulletproof.
3. Concede, Then Compare (Use MRST)
Sometimes, the other side’s got good points. That doesn’t mean you fold. It means you acknowledge them, and then you compare options on a shared metric.
Enter MRST.
When I’m comparing proposals, I ask:
Magnitude – Which option tackles the bigger pain point?
Risk – Which is likelier to succeed?
Scope – Who and how many benefit?
Timeframe – Which option solves for their pain point more effectively, given limited time?
This is an expanded version of the format summarized by the Atlanta Urban Debate League.
You don’t need to win every category. Just show that your plan is the better tradeoff overall. Sometimes your idea has less scope, but way less risk. Sometimes it’s slower, but the only one that solves the problem at scale.
What matters is that you own the comparison. Don’t pretend the other side is all bad. Show how you’ve weighed the tradeoffs, and let others trust your thinking.
In debate, anticipating objections is expected. In life, it can feel like you’re jumping the gun or picking a fight. The trick is in the tone.
You don’t have to soften your ideas, but you can slow your delivery, share your logic, and make space for others to speak. The goal isn’t to shut down disagreement. It’s to show you’ve done the work to engage with it, early and openly. I messed up on that tone with this peer, clearly. They didn’t feel heard enough during our discussion. That’s on me. This post is my way to remind myself to be better.
