Have you ever been in a meeting when someone proposes an idea, and your first thought is, “That will never work”? Maybe you hesitated to speak up because you didn’t want to come across as negative, or worse, shut down creativity. But what if that gut reaction could actually become your most powerful tool?

In this episode, Monique explores how diverse experiences, expertise, and biases can shape the way we respond to new ideas. She shares a practical framework for turning a “hard NO” into curiosity-driven questions that guide collaboration, uncover hidden opportunities, and help others think through their solutions.

Whether it’s at work, in your side projects, or even in your home life, this episode shows you how to influence outcomes without dominating the conversation, how to walk through scenarios constructively, and how to create space for breakthroughs that might never have happened otherwise. Let’s dive in!

(00:54) - Reflections from an off-site activity with the team (01:50) - The challenge of diverse experiences and solution bias (02:52) - How to say “No” without shutting down the conversation (04:13) - Finding a common ground and aligning on the problem (06:35) - Walking through solutions with curiosity-driven questions (08:22) - Holiday reflections and sneak peek into 2026

• Website | https://www.thegreatlifeexperimentpodcast.com/
• Instagram - thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast | https://www.instagram.com/thegreatlifeexperiment_podcast
• Instagram - @itsmoniqueschafer | https://www.instagram.com/itsmoniqueschafer
• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@GreatLifeExperiment

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