Put Your "But" on the Table

You know what happens every time you pitch an idea at work?

Someone’s got a “but.”

But isn’t that risky?

But we tried something like that last year.

But do we even have budget for this?

And here’s the thing: those “buts” are coming whether you like it or not. They’re as predictable as someone microwaving their rain soaked socks in the office kitchen. So you’ve got two choices. You can pretend they don’t exist and hope nobody notices. Or you can be the one to say them out loud first.

What Most People Do

You spend hours on your presentation. You’ve got slides. You’ve got data. You’ve rehearsed in the shower. Then you present it, feeling pretty good about yourself. And right when you think you’ve nailed it, someone in the back raises their hand:

“Yeah, this all sounds great, BUT what about X?”

Now you’re scrambling. Now you’re defensive. Now everyone’s watching to see if you actually thought this through or if you just hoped nobody would ask.

You didn’t fail to convince them because the objection was tough. You failed because they had to be the one to bring it up. Now it looks like you either didn’t think of it, or worse, you were trying to sneak it past them.

What Actually Works

You bring it up yourself. Right there in the presentation.

“Look, I know what you’re thinking. ‘This is going to take forever.’ And yeah, you’re right. The first few months are going to be slower. But here’s why that’s actually the point…”

Boom. Tension gone.

You just showed everyone in the room that you’ve actually thought about this. That you’re not some overly optimistic idealist who thinks everything will magically work out. Adam Grant has a term for this: “confident humility.” It’s when you’re sure enough about your idea to defend it, but honest enough to admit where it’s hard. And people trust that. Because it sounds like a real person, not a sales pitch.

How to Actually Do This

Step 1: Write down the objections. Before you present anything, sit down and think: “What’s going to make people say ‘yeah, but’?” Write down at least three “Buts”. If you can’t think of any, you’re either a genius or you’re not thinking hard enough. (Hint: it’s probably the second one.)

Step 2: Say them out loud. Early. Don’t wait until Q&A. Don’t bury it on the last slide. Bring it up when you’ve still got everyone’s attention. Make it part of your argument, not something you’re defending against.

Step 3: Show you’ve thought it through. You don’t need to have all the answers. But you do need to show that you’ve wrestled with the hard parts. Say something like, “Here’s how I’m thinking about solving that,” or even, “I don’t have this figured out yet, but here’s what I’m testing.”

Honesty beats perfection every time.

Why This Works

When you bring up the “but” first, something shifts in the room. People stop waiting to poke holes. They start actually listening. Because you just did the thing most people are too scared to do. You admitted the hard part out loud. And that makes everything else you say more believable.

It’s like when someone tells you about a restaurant and says, “The service is slow, but the food is worth it.” You trust that review way more than someone who just says everything is perfect.

Same thing here.

Put your “But” on the table

The moment you stop pretending the “but” isn’t there, people start listening.
So next time you’re about to present something, do yourself a favor and
Put your “But” out there