THE LIBRARY · 90 OF 90 MOVES AVAILABLE
The Move Library
The Library is organised as 15 strategic categories with 6 Moves each.
- 15
- Disciplines
- 6
- Moves each
- 90
- Power Moves
90 Moves
- 01
Name the Decision
Reduce a tangled situation to one written sentence: the choice to be made, who makes it, and by when.
- 02
Separate Facts from Assumptions
Sort what you know from what you suspect before you act on either, so your response matches reality instead of your fear.
- 03
Find the Real Question
Identify the concern underneath the stated request so you answer what actually matters to the other side.
- 04
Define Success Before You Start
Decide your target, acceptable range and minimum before a conversation, so pressure in the moment cannot move them.
- 05
Map the Stakeholders
List everyone who can influence, approve or block the outcome before you decide who to talk to and in what order.
- 06
Reframe the Problem as Shared
Move the conversation from 'me against you' to 'us against the problem' by naming a goal both sides already hold.
- 07
Ask the Open 'How' Question
Replace yes/no questions with open 'how' and 'what' questions that make the other side explain their constraints in their own words.
- 08
Ask for the Constraint
Find out whether the obstacle is budget, authority, timing or confidence before you offer anything to remove it.
- 09
Summarize to Confirm
Play back what you heard in your own words and ask if you got it right, before responding with your own view.
- 10
Test the Assumption Cheaply
Before committing to a big move based on a belief, run the smallest possible test that would prove the belief wrong.
- 11
Listen for the Priority Signal
Notice which topics the other side returns to, avoids or emphasises; those patterns show what matters most to them.
- 12
Ask What Happens If Nothing Changes
Have the other side describe the cost of inaction in their own words, so the status quo stops looking free.
- 13
Offer Two Paths
Present two acceptable options instead of one proposal, so the conversation becomes a choice rather than a yes-or-no verdict.
- 14
Set the Decision Criteria First
Agree how a decision will be judged before discussing options, so the outcome rests on shared standards rather than persuasion.
- 15
Propose the Next Step Yourself
End every exchange by proposing the specific next action, owner and date, rather than waiting for the other side to define it.
- 16
Pre-Wire the Decision
Brief key stakeholders individually before the formal meeting, so the meeting confirms a decision rather than starting a debate.
- 17
Separate Deciding from Discussing
Make it explicit whether a conversation is for exploring ideas or for making a decision, so no one leaves with mismatched expectations.
- 18
Make the Default Explicit
State what will happen if no decision is made by a date, so silence produces a known result instead of indefinite drift.
- 19
Know Your Walk-Away Point
Decide in advance the specific terms below which you will say no, so pressure in the moment cannot move you further than you meant to go.
- 20
Build a Real Alternative
Create a genuine option you could take if this deal fails, because leverage comes from what you can do without them, not from what you say.
- 21
Mention the Option Without Threat
Let the other side know you have choices in a calm, factual sentence that informs rather than intimidates.
- 22
Strengthen Your Position Before Asking
Improve the facts on your side — results, timing, options — before you make the request, instead of hoping persuasion will cover the gap.
- 23
Estimate Their Alternative
Work out what the other side will do if they do not agree with you, because their options set the real limits of the deal.
- 24
Make Your Value Hard to Replace
Build specific, visible contributions that would be costly to lose, so your leverage rests on real dependence rather than personal charm.
- 25
Lead with the Outcome, Not the Hours
Describe your work by the result it produces for them, so the conversation is about value delivered rather than time spent.
- 26
Show the Cost of the Problem
Quantify what the unsolved problem is already costing them, so your proposal is weighed against that cost instead of against zero.
- 27
Use Evidence, Not Adjectives
Replace claims like 'high quality' and 'experienced' with specific proof, so your value is believed instead of merely stated.
- 28
Say What You Don't Do
Define your offer by its edges as well as its centre, so clients understand your specialism and stop expecting you to be everything.
- 29
Move from Vendor to Advisor
Shift the relationship from taking orders to shaping decisions by offering a perspective before you are asked for a quote.
- 30
Document Wins Before You Need Them
Keep a dated record of results and praise as they happen, so when you need to make your case, the evidence already exists.
- 31
Anchor First with a Reason
State your number first, attached to a clear rationale, so the negotiation starts from your reference point rather than theirs.
- 32
Present the Price Without Apology
Say your price plainly and stop talking, without nervous discounts, justifications or filler that signal you expect it to be rejected.
- 33
Offer Tiers, Not Discounts
When price is a concern, offer a smaller scope at a lower price instead of cutting the price of the same work.
- 34
Answer a Lowball with a Reason
When an offer comes in far below expectations, ask what it is based on before countering, so you respond to their logic rather than their number.
- 35
Raise Your Rate with Notice
Increase prices for existing clients with clear written notice, a short reason and a date, rather than apologising or surprising them.
- 36
Price the Rush
When a client needs work faster than normal, attach a clear premium to the compressed timeline instead of absorbing the cost yourself.
- 37
Name the Scope Change
Point out, calmly and early, when a request falls outside the agreed work, so the change becomes a decision instead of a silent favour.
- 38
Quote the Change Before Doing It
Give a written price and timeline impact for any change request before starting work on it, so nothing extra happens without agreement.
- 39
Offer a Phase Two
Turn new ideas that arrive mid-project into a planned next phase, protecting the current deadline while keeping the client's ambition alive.
- 40
Write the Out-of-Scope List
Put the things you are not doing into the agreement explicitly, so later disagreements are settled by the document rather than by memory.
- 41
Swap, Don't Stack
When a client wants something added within the same budget or deadline, ask what should come out to make room.
- 42
Reset After Scope Creep
When scope has already drifted, hold one structured conversation that lists what changed and agrees a new baseline going forward.
- 43
Use the Pause
Take deliberate time before responding to a surprising offer or demand, so your answer comes from judgement rather than reflex.
- 44
Don't Fill the Silence
After you make a request or state a price, stay quiet and let the other side respond, rather than rushing in with concessions.
- 45
Set a Response Window
Give a clear, reasonable date by which you need an answer, so an open question does not drift indefinitely.
- 46
Slow Down Artificial Urgency
When someone pushes for an instant decision without a clear reason, calmly ask what drives the deadline before you commit.
- 47
Choose the Moment
Raise important requests at a time when the other person has the attention, information and authority to respond well.
- 48
Follow Up After Silence
When a client or counterpart goes quiet, send a short, low-pressure follow-up that makes replying easy and offers a clear exit.
- 49
State the Limit Once, Clearly
Express your boundary in one plain sentence, without lengthy justification, so it is understood as a decision rather than an opening bid.
- 50
Say No with a Path
Decline the request clearly while offering one concrete alternative, so the other person leaves with a way forward rather than a dead end.
- 51
Separate the Person from the Request
Make it clear you value the person while refusing the specific request, so the boundary is not heard as a rejection of the relationship.
- 52
Protect Your Availability Hours
Publish clear response times and working hours, so clients and colleagues know when to expect you instead of testing your limits.
- 53
Hold the Boundary on Repeat
When the same boundary is tested again, restate it calmly and consistently, without escalating emotion or adding new reasons.
- 54
Decline Without Over-Explaining
Turn down requests with a brief, polite reason at most, avoiding detailed justifications that invite the other side to solve each objection.
- 55
Trade, Never Concede
When asked to give something up, ask for something of comparable value in return, so every concession becomes an exchange.
- 56
Label the Objection
Name the concern you think is behind their pushback, so they feel heard and the real issue comes into the open.
- 57
Ask 'Compared to What?'
When told your offer is too expensive or too slow, ask what they are comparing it to, so you respond to the real benchmark.
- 58
Concede Small, Slowly, and Last
If you must give ground, make concessions in decreasing sizes, with time between them, and late in the negotiation.
- 59
Bundle the Issues
Negotiate several terms together as a package rather than one at a time, so you can trade across them instead of losing each separately.
- 60
Answer 'Your Competitor Is Cheaper'
Respond to competitor price comparisons by clarifying the difference in what is delivered, rather than reflexively matching the lower number.
- 61
Ask for the Specific Yes
Request a concrete commitment — what, who, by when — rather than general agreement, so 'sounds good' turns into action.
- 62
Set the Next Checkpoint
End each conversation by scheduling the next touchpoint with a date and purpose, so momentum does not depend on someone remembering.
- 63
Get the Owner's Name
Identify the single person accountable for each next step, so responsibility does not dissolve across a team or organisation.
- 64
Confirm in Their Words
Ask the other side to state the agreement in their own words, so differences in understanding appear before they become disputes.
- 65
Turn Maybe into a Date
When someone says 'maybe later' or 'let's revisit', convert it into a specific date for the decision, so it does not become a permanent maybe.
- 66
Close the Loop on Verbal Agreement
Convert a verbal yes into a signed or written commitment quickly, before memories fade or circumstances change.
- 67
Recap in Writing
Send a short written summary of decisions, owners and dates after every important conversation, creating a shared record both sides can rely on.
- 68
Keep a Decision Log
Maintain a simple running record of key decisions, who made them and why, so later questions are answered by evidence rather than memory.
- 69
Reference the Agreement, Not the Feeling
When a commitment is broken, point to the specific agreement and its terms, rather than how let down or frustrated you feel.
- 70
Track the Pattern Before Raising It
Record dated examples of a recurring problem before addressing it, so the conversation is about a documented pattern rather than one incident.
- 71
Name the Missed Commitment
When someone misses a promised action, raise it promptly and specifically, without blame, and agree a new date.
- 72
Agree on What Happens If It Slips
Decide in advance, together, what will happen if a deadline or commitment is missed, so consequences are expected rather than punitive.
- 73
Own the Specific Miss
When you have made a mistake, name exactly what you got wrong and what you will do about it, without vague apologies or excuses.
- 74
Acknowledge Before You Explain
Show you understand the other person's frustration before offering any context or explanation, so your reasons are heard rather than dismissed.
- 75
Lower the Temperature
When a conversation becomes heated, slow your pace, lower your voice and propose a pause or reset, so both sides can think again.
- 76
Invite Their Version
Ask the other side to describe the situation from their perspective before presenting yours, so you understand the conflict before trying to resolve it.
- 77
Repair After Your Own Overreaction
If you reacted too strongly in a conversation, return to it promptly, acknowledge the reaction and restate your point calmly.
- 78
Reset the Working Agreement
After repeated friction, agree explicit new norms for how you will communicate and work together, rather than relitigating each incident.
- 79
Escalate the Issue, Not the Person
When you must involve someone senior, frame the escalation around the problem and its impact, not around the other person's character.
- 80
Give Notice Before Escalating
Tell the other party you intend to escalate and why, giving them a final chance to resolve the issue and avoiding the sense of ambush.
- 81
Bring Options Upward
When escalating, present the senior decision-maker with two or three clear options and your recommendation, not just a problem.
- 82
Escalate in Writing with a Timeline
Put a significant escalation in writing with a factual timeline of events, so the issue is clear, documented and difficult to dismiss.
- 83
Involve a Neutral Third Party
When two sides are stuck, propose bringing in someone neutral to facilitate, so the conversation moves forward without either side backing down.
- 84
Use a Formal Deadline
When informal efforts have failed, set a formal written deadline stating the action required and the consequence that will follow.
- 85
Decide Your Exit Before You Need It
Write down, while calm, the specific conditions under which you would leave a deal, client or role, so the decision is not made in panic.
- 86
Step Back Without Burning the Bridge
Decline or end a deal in a calm, professional way that leaves the door open for future work or references.
- 87
Pause Instead of Quitting
When a relationship or project is under strain, propose a defined pause or reduced commitment rather than an all-or-nothing exit.
- 88
Hand Over Cleanly
When leaving a project or role, provide a clear, organised handover so the work continues and your reputation is protected.
- 89
Recover After a Move Fails
When a negotiation or request does not work, acknowledge the result calmly, protect the relationship and plan your next attempt.
- 90
Run the Post-Mortem
After any significant negotiation or conflict, review what happened, what worked and what you would change, so each experience improves the next.