Resource hub

Guides for the conversations people put off

Each guide gives you the preparation, the opening line, and the words for the replies you'll actually get. No frameworks to memorize.

Managing up
Employee
6 min

How to tell your boss you're overworked (without sounding like you can't handle it)

A direct script for telling your manager your workload is unsustainable, plus how to bring data, propose tradeoffs, and handle the three replies you'll probably get.

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Performance
Manager
7 min

The performance improvement plan meeting: a script managers can actually use

How to open, run, and close a PIP conversation: the exact words for the first 60 seconds, what to document, and how to answer 'am I being fired?'

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Feedback
Manager
6 min

How to give feedback to someone who gets defensive

Why defensiveness shows up, how to phrase feedback so it doesn't trigger it, and the exact words for when someone argues, deflects, or goes quiet.

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Managing up
Employee
6 min

How to ask for a raise: preparation, script, and the three answers you'll get

What to bring, how to name a number without flinching, and word-for-word responses to yes, no, and 'not right now.'

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Peer conflict
Employee
5 min

What to say when a coworker takes credit for your work

How to respond in the moment, the private follow-up conversation, and when to bring your manager in without looking petty.

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Boundaries
Employee
5 min

How to set boundaries at work without sounding difficult

Boundary language for after-hours messages, scope creep, and last-minute requests — plus what to do when the boundary gets tested.

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Manager training
Manager
7 min

First-time manager? Here are the five conversations you'll dread — and how to run them

The five conversations most new managers avoid, why avoidance costs more than the conversation, and a short script for each.

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Conflict resolution
Manager
7 min

How to mediate a conflict between two employees

A three-meeting structure for team conflict: separate conversations first, a joint session with rules, and a written agreement you actually follow up on.

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Have a situation these guides don't cover?

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