Prep for a hard 1:1.
Not a script — a plan. What outcome you're going for, the sentence you open with, and the two things you'll leave the room having done.
You have a 1:1 tomorrow with someone you need to be direct with — a report who's underperforming, a peer whose scope is bleeding into yours, a manager whose feedback pattern isn't working. You know what you want to say and you're going to soften it into meaninglessness. This prompt forces you to plan the specific move.
THE PROMPT
Help me prep for a difficult 1:1 tomorrow. Here's the context — [PASTE 3-4 SENTENCES OF SITUATION]. Return exactly four sections: **Outcome** — one sentence. What is the specific concrete thing I want to be true when the meeting ends? Not "have a good conversation" — a specific state change. **Opener** — one paragraph, three sentences max. The sentence I say first. It should name the topic directly (no meta-preamble like "I wanted to talk about something"), state what I've observed factually, and offer them the first move. **Two things I need to leave the room having done** - Specific action or conversation move #1. - Specific action or conversation move #2. No more than two. If I try to do four things I do zero of them well. **What I will not do** - Bullet list of moves I'm tempted to make but shouldn't. Emotional venting, rehashing old grievances, agreeing to a follow-up because it feels warmer, whatever the pattern is for this specific person. Tone: direct. Do not soften. If the situation calls for me to have a hard conversation, don't reformulate it into a "checking in" conversation.
**Outcome**
By end of meeting: Jamie has explicitly acknowledged that the sprint velocity has dropped by 40% over the last two cycles, and we have named one specific behavior change to try for the next cycle with a check-in date.
**Opener**
"Jamie, I want to talk about your output over the last two cycles. Your PR count is down about 40% from your baseline, and I've noticed you've been quieter in standup. I don't have a theory about why yet — I want to hear from you first."
**Two things I need to leave the room having done**
- Named the behavior gap explicitly, in numbers, and gotten a response beyond "yeah, I know".
- Agreed on one specific thing that changes this cycle, with a check-in in two weeks.
**What I will not do**
- Immediately offer a way out ("...totally understandable if you're going through something").
- Pivot to my own frustration if they get defensive.
- Agree to "let's talk again next week" as the whole outcome.