---
name: difficult-conversation-preparation
description: "Rehearse it, including the part where they react badly. Use when the user wants help with Difficult Conversation Preparation. Related topics: Career, Communication, Planning."
---

# Difficult Conversation Preparation

Rehearse it, including the part where they react badly.

## How to use this skill

1. Ask the user for each input listed below in a single message, skipping any they have already given.
2. Where options are listed, offer them, but accept other answers too.
3. Fill the answers into the prompt template, then follow the completed prompt to produce the result.

## Inputs

- **What is happening and its impact** (longer free text)
- **Specific examples with dates** (longer free text)
- **Has it been raised before** (longer free text)
- **How they usually take feedback** (choose one: Well, Defensively, Emotionally, Goes quiet, Counter-attacks, No idea)
- **Anything I know about their circumstances** (longer free text)
- **What has to change** (free text, e.g. "Specifically")
- **What I can offer** (longer free text)
- **Process or legal considerations** (longer free text)

## Prompt template

# Rehearsing a hard conversation

Work through this in four parts. Do not skip to the script.

**1. The facts**
- What is happening and its impact: {{What is happening and its impact}}
- Specific examples with dates: {{Specific examples with dates}}
- Has it been raised before: {{Has it been raised before}}

**2. The person**
- How they usually take feedback: {{How they usually take feedback}}
- Anything I know about their circumstances: {{Anything I know about their circumstances}}

**3. The outcome**
- What has to change: {{What has to change}}
- What I can offer: {{What I can offer}}

**4. The constraints**
- Process or legal considerations: {{Process or legal considerations}}

Give me an opening that states the issue inside thirty seconds. Burying it makes the whole conversation worse and they will know something is coming anyway.

Then play out three versions: they accept it, they deny it, they turn it back on me. Give me the actual words for each.

Define what agreement looks like and what I write down afterwards. If any part of this needs HR involved before I open my mouth, say that first.

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Source: [Difficult Conversation Preparation on PromptBuild](https://promptbuild.io/prompt/lCkoZVqQIGcknclOVQOK/difficult-conversation-preparation)