1. Be realistic about the risks

Most people tend to overplay the risks involved in speaking up. “Our natural bias is to start by imagining all the things that will go wrong.” Your counterpart might be surprised and a little upset at first.

But chances are you’re not going to get fired or make a lifelong enemy. First, consider “the risks of not speaking up” — perhaps the project will be derailed or you’ll lose the team’s trust — then realistically weigh those against the potential consequences of taking action.