Leadership · Starter
Prepare for a difficult conversation
Plan the opening, the key message and likely reactions for a hard one-to-one.
The task
Managers often go into difficult conversations underprepared because they're dreading them. Describe the situation in general terms and ask the assistant to help you plan the structure and practise the opening.
A prompt to start from
Paste it into your AI assistant, then fill in the bits in [square brackets].
I need to have a difficult conversation with a team member about [general description, no names: e.g. missed deadlines affecting the team]. Help me prepare: 1. A clear, kind opening of two or three sentences that states the issue 2. The one message they must leave the conversation understanding 3. Three likely reactions and how I could respond to each 4. How to agree next steps
Then play the team member so I can practise the opening.
What to check in the output
- Follow your HR process for anything formal. This is preparation, not policy.
- Make sure the plan leaves room to listen.
Before you paste anything in
Keep it general: no names, health information or details that identify the person.
Your organisation's AI policy wins over anything here.
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