Complex discussions rarely fail because people lack ideas. More often, they fail because focus is lost. One moment the conversation is about the problem, the next, it's about possible solutions, then someone shares a past experience – and eventually it becomes unclear what decision was supposed to be made in the first place.

Staying focused does not mean shutting down discussion or dismissing different perspectives. It means keeping the conversation centred on what truly matters, so it moves forward and ends with a clear outcome instead of draining time and energy.

Feedback is an invaluable tool that helps both individuals and teams reach their full potential. To make feedback truly effective and inspiring, it is useful to follow four clear steps based on the argument model. Argument-based feedback improves the quality of teamwork and helps build trust within teams.

If, as a leader, you find that decisions in your team are made hastily or that costly mistakes emerge later, it’s worth examining the decision-making process from the outset.

The foundation of effective argumentative communication lies in justifying your viewpoints with both logic and evidence. While checking whether a fact is true or false is usually straightforward, evaluating whether the reasoning behind a claim actually holds up is often more challenging.

From time to time, most of us feel the desire to do something differently at work: to be a more confident speaker, a more reasoned leader, or simply to approach things in a new way. Even when we manage to gather enough courage, knowledge, or skills, attempts at change can quickly be shut down by teammates’ reactions, pushing us back into old routines. This happened in one of my teams, where a colleague’s attempt to lead meetings in a more substantive way was met with a question about their level of intoxication.

Using argumentation skills as an example, here are four things to keep in mind when trying to introduce change in a work environment.