Escalation should move a stuck issue to the right authority without poisoning the system.
Bad escalation surprises people, frames villains, and invites executives into half-context. Good escalation makes the decision need visible.
Escalate the issue, not the drama. Pre-brief affected people when safe. State the decision required, the tradeoff, prior attempts, and what happens if no decision is made.
Operator artifact: escalation note: decision needed, options, tradeoff, prior attempts, affected parties, recommendation, deadline. No character assassination.
Field test: Pre-brief the affected people, state the decision required, and carry the tradeoff cleanly.
This is part 8 of 10 in Conflict Without Damage.
