Example situation: A Key Developer Received a Competitor's Offer

Question
“Our lead developer, the only person who fully understands the core of our product, has received an offer from a competitor with a salary 35% higher than his current one. He wants us to respond within a week. Should we make a counteroffer?”
What to question
What is the real reason he looked for an offer? What would it cost to replace him, counting lost time and knowledge? What happens to other employees' pay if we accept this demand?
How the depth changes

Focused → broader → deepest
Four perspectives quickly separate the pressure of the moment from the real problem: what this departure would actually cost us, what is really…
Five additional perspectives question the assumption that money is the only reason, model a downside where a raise does not keep him for more than a…
Six further perspectives test the economics of replacement (hiring, onboarding, lost time), alternative packages (equity, a deadline-linked bonus, a…
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