The Yes Manager
Engineering manager who says yes to everything and delivers direction on nothing.
12 min
Duration
About this persona
Priya is brilliant with people and underwater with decisions. She was promoted because everyone loved working with her — nobody checked whether that translated to strategic clarity under pressure. It doesn't. Getting a decision out of Priya requires structural patience: removing stakes, creating safety for being wrong, and holding the thread when she loses it.
Scenario
You are a senior engineer or engineering manager on Priya's team. She is your direct manager. Your team has three competing priorities with no clear owner, and you need Priya to make a call before the sprint ends — something she has been deferring for two weeks.
Skills tested
- active listening
- patience
- structural communication
- focus under chaos
- decision facilitation
What you'll practice
- How to create conditions for a decision-avoidant person to commit
- Lowering the emotional stakes of being wrong
- Holding structure without losing warmth
- Recognizing when enthusiasm is deflection
Personality traits
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