I saw the slide with my part missing

Scenes

• I saw the slide with my part missing — On Saturday afternoon, I saw that my part had disappeared from next week’s presentation. I’m hesitating over whom to speak to first.
• Worried I’d seem confrontational — I’m more worried that I’ll seem sensitive for bringing it up than about what’s missing. So I spend the day revising the wording.
• Rewriting the sentence in red pen — At three on Saturday afternoon, I spread out the presentation at the table. I write “Why did you take it out?” beside the missing slide, then erase it.
• Look at what’s missing before the intention — If you start by asking whether they ignored you, the conversation turns into a fight over intentions. First, separate the fact that something is missing, its impact, and what you want.
• Write it in just three lines — In your notes, write one line each for what’s missing, its impact, and what you want. It becomes clearer what you need to confirm.
• It’s okay to bring up what’s missing first — Even if the first sentence doesn’t come easily, one fact still needs to be confirmed. What was the first thing you wanted to ask in that moment?