Language You Can Borrow

START WITH FACTS

  • “Here is what we know so far…”
  • “We have continued delivery for three weeks under ‘Work at Risk’.”
  • “The PO has not yet been issued.”
  • “The current exposure is X against an agreed cap of Y.”

CLARIFY THE ASSUMPTION

  • “When we say the PO is ‘imminent,’ what date are we actually planning against?”
  • “What has been formally approved, and what are we currently assuming?”

SHARE CONCERN WITHOUT BLAME

  • “My concern is that continuing beyond the current point creates exposure we have not explicitly agreed.”
  • “The risk I see is that a temporary exception is becoming an open-ended commitment.”

INVITE THEIR VIEW

  • “What am I missing from your side?”
  • “What is the latest confirmed approval position?”
  • “What constraints should we factor in?”

SET A BOUNDARY

  • “We can continue within the agreed cap until Friday. Beyond that, we need a new decision.”
  • “The current exposure is X. I do not recommend extending beyond Y without approval.”

PROTECT THE RELATIONSHIP WHILE BEING CLEAR

  • “We want to protect momentum for the customer, and we also need the continuation to remain controlled.”
  • “This is not about withdrawing support. It is about agreeing the conditions under which we continue responsibly.”

ESCALATE EARLY

  • “We have now missed the expected approval point twice. I recommend we escalate before additional exposure is created.”
  • “The risk has changed from temporary uncertainty to repeated non-closure, so I think the decision needs to move up.”

COMMUNICATE THE CONSEQUENCE

  • “If the PO is not confirmed by Friday, the uncovered work will pause while covered delivery continues.”
  • “If we continue beyond the current cap, we are making a deliberate exposure decision — not simply maintaining momentum.”

CLOSE THE CONVERSATION

“Before we leave, can we confirm the scope, end/review date, cap, escalation trigger and decision owner?”

SAME SITUATION, DIFFERENT ROLE LENSES

Project / Delivery: “The current plan takes us beyond the delivery conditions we agreed. We need to confirm what continues and what changes.”

CSE / Customer Success: “I want to protect customer momentum, and I also want us to be clear about the boundary we are operating within.”

Program / PMO: “The risk has changed from a short-term exception to repeated exposure. I recommend we move this to the agreed decision owner now.”

Support: “I can continue the covered service activity. For anything outside that boundary, I need the programme team to confirm the decision before we commit.”

Use the wording that fits your accountability. Do not speak as if you own a decision that belongs to another role.