You're three weeks into a project you care about when your manager shelves it — priorities changed — and moves you to something less interesting, starting today. What do you do?

The dilemma has no clean move: sulking is visible and costly, but letting three weeks of work evaporate without a trace is careless. It works for candidates with little work history, and the "less interesting" detail tests whether their effort is attached to the outcome or to their own enthusiasm.

• What happens to the half-finished work?
• What, if anything, do you say to your manager about the call?
• What does your first day on the new assignment look like?

The shelved work closed out responsibly — documented, parked where others can find it — disappointment named without being performed, a real question about the reasoning, and full effort on the new thing from day one.

Instant cheerfulness with no sign the loss registered, a campaign to reverse the decision dressed as questions, or the new assignment visibly starting at half throttle.