Decision Checklist: When and How to Intervene

Use this short checklist to decide whether to act, who should act, and the appropriate level of response.

Step 1 — Confirm the pattern

• Is this an isolated incident or a repeated pattern? (Record examples and dates.)
• Is the issue primarily about task performance, communication style, or behavior impacting psychological safety?

Step 2 — Assess risk and urgency

• Safety/legal risk (harassment, discrimination, threats): escalate to HR/Legal immediately.
• Operational risk (missed deadlines affecting customers): high priority — consider manager intervention.
• Relational risk (low trust, morale): medium priority — consider peer or manager-led conversation.

Step 3 — Choose who should act

• Peer-to-peer: when both parties are roughly equal in power and open to dialogue.
• Manager-led: when there is a power imbalance, recurring performance impacts, or repeated failed peer attempts.
• Neutral facilitator/HR: when multiple stakeholders are involved or when impartiality is needed.

Step 4 — Decide the format

• Private one-on-one (20–40 min) — preferred first step for early friction.
• Facilitated conversation (45–90 min) — when several perspectives or complex history exists.
• Written agreements + follow-up huddle — for remote teams or when scheduling is hard.

Step 5 — Prepare for the conversation

• Collect observable facts and examples.
• Clarify the impact you observed.
• List desired outcomes and non-negotiable constraints.
• Plan opening lines and questions to invite the other person’s view.