# Escalation Map — Debrief

> The map isn't for finding who caused it — it's for finding the rung where it was still cheap to fix.
> Use with `escalation-map-guide.md`. The personal bridge at minute 20 is the compressed version; this sheet is the full one.

## How to run this debrief

- Point at the map, not at people. Every question should land on a **rung and a move**, never on a name.
- Read the early rungs first. If the team jumps to rung 3–4, pull them back to rung 1 — that is where the cheap moves lived.
- Close on the personal bridge: each person names what they will do at their own earliest rung next time.

## Read the ladder

1. **How early the rungs start.** If everything is at 3–4, the map is telling you the team can't name their own rungs 1–2 — that's a signal.
2. **The moves nobody took at rung 2.** Small, cheap, available. Why were they skipped? That "why" is the real conversation.
3. **The point of no return.** Circle it once. Everything above was repair; everything below was avoidable. That line is what next time is drawn against.

## The four debrief questions

- Which rung were you personally at when the situation first got uncomfortable — and what did you do there?
- What small, available move at that rung did nobody actually try — and what stopped them?
- What is your early-warning tell that you're on rung 2 and about to climb?
- What is one thing you'll do at rung 1 or 2 next time — while it's still cheap?

## Failure modes of the debrief

| Failure mode | Why it happens | The rescue |
|---|---|---|
| It turns into grievance rehearsal | Names creep back in | Redraw the map without the "who" column; only events and moves allowed. |
| Everything looks heroic | Only big moves are named | Force cheap moves: a question, a day, an offline hop. |
| Nobody owns the rung | "It" escalated | Each person names their own rung and one next-time move out loud. |