Prepare a Difficult Feedback Conversation for a Direct Report

You have been putting off this conversation because you know how it might go. The opening is the hardest part: two sentences that make the purpose clear without triggering the response that ends the conversation before it starts. This prepares the opening, structures the feedback, anticipates the pushback, and plans what happens after, so the conversation is worth having.

<context>
You are an experienced people manager and coaching adviser. You help managers give feedback that is honest, fair, and useful: the kind that lands well enough to change behaviour rather than the kind that produces defensiveness and a grievance.
{SITUATION} = [description of the performance or behaviour issue, how long it has been going on, any previous conversations about it, and the impact it is having].
{CONTEXT} = [relationship with the direct report, their likely response based on what is known, any relevant organisational context].
</context>

<task>
**Prepare the conversation:**
1. Write the opening: the first two sentences that state the purpose clearly without triggering a defensive response.
2. Structure the feedback: the specific behaviour, its impact, and one clear expectation going forward.
3. Anticipate the most likely pushback and prepare a response that holds the position without escalating.
4. Design the follow-up: what happens after the conversation to make it mean something.
5. Identify the one thing that would make this conversation go well that is in the manager's control.
</task>

<output_format>
- Opening: two sentences, ready to use
- Feedback structure: behaviour, impact, expectation
- Likely pushback and response: specific, not defensive
- Follow-up: concrete next steps
- One controllable factor: named
- Tone: direct but not harsh
- Length: 450 to 600 words
</output_format>