Sixty seconds to prepare, sixty seconds to explain a decision
Task 6 asks you to explain a decision to a friend, family member, acquaintance, or customer. You have 60 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak. The official study pack emphasizes direct address, a considerate but firm manner, respectful language, a clear outline of the problem, an explicit decision, and effective supporting reasons.
The difficulty comes from competing needs. The other person may be disappointed, inconvenienced, or opposed to your choice. The response must still communicate what will happen. Politeness that never reaches a decision is incomplete; bluntness that ignores the relationship is also a weakness.
Problem framing, decision clarity, social language, and control
Content/Coherence includes a clear problem, decision, supporting reasons, and a workable response to the other person's need. Vocabulary includes tactful but precise language for acknowledging, refusing, explaining, proposing, and confirming. Listenability includes fluent delivery, controlled grammar, and intonation that supports respect and firmness. Task Fulfillment includes speaking to the correct person, completing every requested action, and using an appropriate tone for the relationship.
You do not need to apologize repeatedly or reveal private detail. One sincere acknowledgement is enough. Use the rest of the minute to make the constraint understandable and give the listener a practical way forward.
A useful alternative should reduce the other person's problem while staying within your control. Offering to contact the team is credible; promising that another coworker will accept the shift is not.
Prepare A → P → D → R → N
- Acknowledge.Recognize the person's request or concern in one sentence. Match the formality to the relationship.
- Problem.Explain the practical conflict without blaming, exaggerating, or giving unnecessary personal history.
- Decision.State clearly what you can or cannot do. Put the boundary before the listener has to infer it.
- Reasons.Give one or two effective reasons that support the decision and connect to the situation.
- Next step.Offer a realistic alternative, compromise, or follow-up that does not cancel the boundary you just set.
Your preparation notes can be five short lines: A understand childcare; P Tues presentation; D cannot close; R fixed team role; N Thurs swap + ask board. This leaves room to speak naturally.
Decline a shift request without abandoning the coworker
Original practice prompt: Your coworker Devon asks you to take Devon's Tuesday closing shift because a childcare arrangement has fallen through. You already have a required evening presentation for a course, and your role cannot be replaced at short notice. Speak directly to Devon, explain your decision, and suggest a practical alternative.
60-second notes: sorry/childcare; Tues presentation fixed/team; cannot close; can swap Thurs; help post/opening shift; confirm today.
Model response:
Devon, I'm sorry your childcare plan fell through, and I understand why you need help on Tuesday. Unfortunately, I can't take the closing shift. I have a required course presentation that evening, and my part of the presentation cannot be moved or handed to another student this late.
I don't want to leave you without options, though. I can trade my Thursday closing shift with anyone who is available on Tuesday, so that person would not lose hours. I can also help you post the swap in our staff group right now and ask the person on Tuesday's opening shift whether they can extend their hours.
I wish I could cover it myself, but I need to keep the Tuesday commitment. Let's contact the team before lunch so we have the best chance of arranging a fair swap.
Why it works: The response acknowledges Devon's problem, states the refusal early, gives a bounded reason, and offers two concrete actions without pretending the speaker can remove the conflict.
What makes a difficult decision less effective
- Delaying the decision. The listener hears a long introduction but still does not know the answer.
- Apologizing for most of the minute. Repeated regret replaces reasons and practical action.
- Sounding accusatory. “You always ask too late” escalates conflict instead of explaining the current decision.
- Overexplaining private detail. A long personal history makes the response unfocused.
- Offering an impossible solution. The alternative depends on authority, money, or availability the speaker does not have.
- Undoing the boundary. “I cannot do it, but maybe I will” leaves the decision unclear.
- Speaking about the person. The response uses third person even though the prompt requires direct address.
Record the same boundary for two relationships
Use the shift scenario above. Record one response to a close coworker and a second to a new supervisor who asks whether you can cover. Keep the decision and reasons the same, but adjust the greeting, acknowledgement, vocabulary, and closing.
Reveal the self-check
In each recording, mark the first sentence that clearly states the decision. It should arrive early. Then identify the acknowledgement, reasons, and next step. Compare the tone: the supervisor version may be more formal, but both versions should remain respectful, direct, and complete.
Check whether respect and clarity survive together
- Did I speak directly to the person named in the prompt?
- Did I acknowledge the person's concern briefly and sincerely?
- Did I explain the practical problem clearly?
- Could the listener identify my decision early?
- Did I give effective reasons without oversharing?
- Did I remain considerate but firm?
- Did I offer a realistic alternative or next step?
- Did my closing confirm the decision rather than weaken it?