Proven scripts for hard conversations.
Search by situation or category. Every script is tuned to a real workplace moment.
Raising a concern about a colleague's behavior with HR
A coworker's behavior has crossed a line and you have decided to report it.
Asking another team to prioritize your request
Your work is blocked on another team's queue and polite pings have stopped working.
Telling your team about a reorg that affects them
A restructure changes reporting lines and scope for people on your team, and you have to announce it.
Disagreeing with a decision after it has already been made
Your manager made a call you think is wrong, and it is already announced.
Resetting expectations with a new hire who is missing deadlines
Someone six weeks in is missing dates, and you need to correct it early without crushing them.
Telling a high performer there is no promotion this cycle
A strong report expects a promotion, and the cycle closed without one for them.
Telling your manager you are burned out
You are running on empty and need to say it before you break something.
Addressing a coworker who keeps interrupting you
A colleague talks over you in meetings and it is costing you visibility.
Delivering a performance improvement plan conversation
You have to put a struggling employee on a formal plan.
Mediating a conflict between two of your team members
Two reports are in an ongoing conflict that the team can feel.
How to say no to your boss without damaging the relationship
Your manager keeps adding work and you are at capacity.
Reconnecting with a colleague after a blowup
You lost your temper with a coworker and the relationship has been cold since.
How to apologize at work without over-apologizing
You made a visible mistake and need to own it without collapsing your credibility.
Telling a client you are going to miss a deadline
A commitment is going to slip and you have to tell the customer before they find out.
Asking for a promotion after being passed over
Someone else got the role you wanted and you need to have the next conversation.
Breaking bad news to your team about a canceled project
Leadership killed a project your team poured months into.
Confronting an employee about their attitude
A report is technically strong but their tone is damaging the team.
Delivering a layoff conversation with dignity
You have to tell a well-liked employee their role is being eliminated.
Giving upward feedback to a senior leader
You need to tell someone two levels up that something is not working.
How to ask for a raise without sounding entitled
You have outgrown your pay band and want to open the compensation conversation with your manager without damaging the relationship.
Responding when your best employee gets a competing offer
A top performer just told you they have an offer elsewhere.
Setting a boundary with a coworker who messages after hours
A colleague sends non-urgent messages at night and expects fast replies.
Handling an employee who ignores your direction
A report keeps doing it their way after you have given clear direction.
Responding to unfair criticism in front of others
Your boss criticized you inaccurately in front of the team.
Giving critical feedback to someone who gets defensive
A report shuts down or argues every time you raise a performance concern.
Declining a meeting without looking uncommitted
You are invited to a recurring meeting that is not a good use of your time.
Telling your boss they are micromanaging you
Your manager checks every task twice and it is slowing your work and eroding your confidence.
Addressing a peer who took credit for your work
A colleague presented your analysis to leadership without naming you.
Setting a boundary with a coworker who keeps handing you their work
A colleague routinely forwards you tasks that belong to their team, and you keep absorbing them.
Handling a report who challenges you in front of the team
A direct report pushes back on your decision publicly, in a way that puts the room on edge.
Resetting a peer relationship that has gone cold
You and a colleague you depend on have drifted into short emails and avoided conversations.