Hearing Office Advisor Training

When Goals & Strategy Collide

It's their case. You counsel — you don't override.

The PIVOT move

Five steps for realigning with your advisee without overriding them.

  1. P
    P — Point to the concern
    Name what you see, neutrally, as your professional read.
  2. I
    I — Inform
    Give the likely consequence — the "why," not pressure.
  3. V
    V — Validate the goal
    Their goal stays the goal.
  4. O
    O — Offer an alternative
    Offer another route to that same goal.
  5. T
    T — Turn the decision back
    Hand the choice back, explicitly.

Whose call is it? — Legend

The same colors appear on every scenario and Lane Checker entry.

GREEN

Advise freely / In lane. Giving your read and the risks, and the supporting moves of the role, are yours to do. The decision stays theirs.

AMBER

Serve the relevant point / Depends. You can reshape the form of a question the HO would exclude, but you must still pursue the underlying relevant fact.

RED

Can't override / Out of lane. You cannot refuse a relevant question or witness the advisee insists on, and you cannot object or argue. Redirect to the in-lane move.

Hard line: an advisor can advise against a witness or a question, but cannot refuse to ask a relevant question the advisee insists on.