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From pushback to progress

by Isobel Rimmer
Indian Management December 2025

Resilience in communication comes from being prepared. Whether you are introducing a new idea or facing resistance, using these approaches will help you stay ready, confident and resilient.

I magine the scene: You have just presented an idea to your boss, but they are resisting. “Now’s not the best time,” they say, but you know it is. “It’s not a high priority this quarter.” Yet, you can see it should be. “Resources and budget are tight right now.” But you can show it can be done, efficiently and cost effectively. 
 
How do you feel? Frustrated, annoyed, disappointed? Probably all of these, and most certainly not satisfied or joyful.
 
The more effort we put into something, the more emotionally we are attached to it. We can’t control our initial reactions when confronted with resistance or objections, but we can choose how we respond and communicate. To stay calm and persuasive under pressure, we need the right strategies. Yet, our natural, knee jerk reaction is often to persist, push back, and justify why our idea is good, which usually falls on deaf ears.
 
The good news? There is a better approach, and it is easy to adopt.
 
Remember, you can’t stop your initial reaction but you can choose your response. To do so, you need to be in the right mindset: calm, emotionally aware and rational. To relieve your frustration, breathe from your diaphragm. Inhale through your nose for a count of 4 and exhale through your mouth for a count of seven. Exhaling longer than inhaling reduces stress and cortisol, helping you regain composure.
 
Once we recognise resistance for what it is — a gap in understanding — we can begin to overcome it. We persuade not by ‘pushing’ or telling the other person what to do, but by ‘pulling,’ being curious and asking questions. Being right (in your view) and justifying your position rarely work. Show that you have heard and understood their concerns and demonstrate empathy. Summarising what they said, or simply saying OK and pausing can be powerful. Another effective strategy, which may seem strange at first, is to agree with them. If they say, ‘We don’t have the resources to deliver this project,’ your response might be, ‘Yes, that’s true. We don’t have sufficient resources, right now.’ Acknowledging their concern reduces conflict and demonstrates empathy. You can also neutralise the situation by framing it positively, for example, “Certainly, we have to be careful with resources this quarter.” The key is showing you’re listening and taking their perspective seriously.
 
Our goal is not to prove they are wrong, it is to understand why they see it differently and then close the gap between you. This requires curiosity in our communication, in a positive and healthy way. By asking thoughtful, open questions, you uncover the reasons behind their resistance, putting you in a stronger position to persuade.
 
  1. What do you see as the main barrier?
  2. What would you need to see or have in place to be confident we cover this cost?
  3. What would you need to see/know or have to consider this idea?
 
Notice how these questions encourage reflection and thoughtful responses. To truly explore and close the gap, ask multiple questions, one is not enough. Be genuinely curious about why they see things differently. Often, your questions help them close the gap themselves. Good questions give insight into their perspective, demonstrate you care, and allow you to address their real concerns. In doing so, you build rapport and move away from conflict, creating space for constructive dialogue. Let us explore this further. In response to your questions, your boss suggests that if you prepare a paper outlining the project’s cost, timeline and expected return, it might be considered. They haven’t said yes yet, but persuasion is a series of steps and we’re making progress. A confirmation question can take you one step further: If I can demonstrate the business case, will you consider supporting the project at the Board?
 
The APAC Framework: Acknowledge, Probe, Address, Confirm

To make this easy to remember, I call it the four-step process ‘APAC’ – Acknowledge, Probe, Address, Confirm. It allows you to stay calm and persuasive, build rapport rather than conflict, and remain resilient in the face of resistance. We first show we’re listening by acknowledging what they said. We then probe and ask questions to establish what lies behind their resistance and in doing so build greater rapport. We can then better address their concern (if they haven’t already done so themselves) and finally check in to confirm a way forward.

Floating an idea under time pressure

How can you remain resilient when time is limited? Imagine you want to share an idea you know has potential: a business opportunity, a new process, a marketing campaign or an acquisition. But you only have a few minutes with the key sponsor or influencer. Timing is crucial, but so is relevance. Ask yourself: Is this important to them, right now? Can I connect with what’s currently ‘on their radar’? The more you align your idea to issues that matter to them in that moment, the more influence and persuasion you’ll have.

Grab attention first

You need to capture their interest quickly. This isn’t about you, it’s about them. If we know they are measured on growing sales, reducing costs, making acquisitions or improving NPS (Net Promoter Scores), you can start with a simple phrase such as “What if…?”: “What if … I could show you how we could potentially grow sales and reduce costs before year end?” “What if … we could improve our net promoter scores by 20 per cent in less than three months?”

Highlight the benefit to them

Next, highlight the potential benefit to them. Again, this is not about you, it is about what they will gain: “You said you’re looking to grow revenue by 15 per cent over the next quarter — this approach could help you do just that.” “This idea could bring significantly more proposals, grow revenue and will require no extra advertising spend.”

Establish credibility

Demonstrate that you know what you are talking about. Share how you have been working behind the scenes and why your qualified to talk about this idea: “I’ve been looking into this for the past month. I’ve researched three organisations where this has been done, successfully, and I’ve tested it in a pilot at location ‘x’. We saw an immediate uplift and the team are really motivated to do it again.”

Suggest a next step

Finally, propose a gentle, low-pressure way to move forward, making it easy for them to follow: “Can I suggest I take five minutes at the end of this meeting to walk you through the idea so that you can see how it could work for you? I can answer any questions you may have and then, if you think it has potential, agree how we take it forward.” Notice the tentative approach, use of the word ‘you’ and ‘yours’ and the phrase ‘so that’ linking to what’s important for them. Speak with confidence and belief, but never assume you know exactly what they want. By doing this, you’re persuading through a pull process, gently guiding them towards your idea whilst giving them space to consider and feel in control.

Preparation is key

Success comes from your preparation making it possible to float your idea quickly and naturally. Capture their attention; show how they will benefit; establish your credibility and then signpost the way ahead. Resilience in communication comes from being prepared. Whether you are introducing a new idea or facing resistance, using these approaches will help you stay ready, confident and resilient.

Isobel Rimmer is the author of From pushback to progress

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