Compliance, risk & ethics

Push back on a request to bypass a procedure

Internal procedure Claire MOREAU Decision framework

Practical example

YOUR SITUATION

A contract must be signed today. One approval is still missing.

You are a corporate account manager. Claire MOREAU, Sales Manager, asks you to activate a new account immediately to meet a commitment to the customer. The required internal approval has not yet been obtained. She suggests fixing the paperwork afterward: “This is an important customer. We’re not going to lose the deal over this.”

YOUR COUNTERPART

Claire MOREAU

Sales Manager

Your internal stakeholder
Mindset
Rushed, persuasive, focused on getting the deal signed
Primary expectation
Activate the account before the end of the day

YOUR MISSION

Uphold the procedure, explain the boundary assertively, and propose an authorized path forward while preserving collaboration.

Your room to maneuver

In this fictional scenario, internal procedure prohibits activation before approval. You may request an expedited review from the authorized team and set a follow-up point. You cannot override the approver or guarantee the decision.

YOUR FRAMEWORK FOR THE CONVERSATION AND REVIEW

A four-step decision framework

A learning framework based on the internal rules of this scenario.

  1. Clarify the request

    Identify the requested action and the missing approval.

  2. Set the boundary

    Explain the applicable rule without blaming your counterpart.

  3. Propose an authorized path

    Engage the right team and set a realistic follow-up.

  4. Document and escalate

    Document the facts and escalate according to procedure if the pressure continues.

Difficulty Intermediate

Back to use casesSee MaiaCoach in action

Fictional practice example · Preparation sheet