I have a difficult conversation coming up. Help me prepare it so I don't blank, escalate, or back down.
WHO IT'S WITH: {role_and_relationship}
WHAT THE TOPIC IS: {the_core_thing}
WHY IT'S DIFFICULT: {power_dynamic / emotional_stakes / fear_of_reaction / unclear_facts}
WHAT I ACTUALLY WANT OUT OF THE CONVERSATION: {your_actual_outcome — what does 'good' look like}
WHAT I'M AFRAID WILL HAPPEN: {the_worst_case_scenario}
WHAT THEY'D PROBABLY SAY (your honest guess): {their_likely_first_response}
GIVE ME:
1. **The opening sentence.** What you say in the first 10 seconds when you sit down. Should orient them to the topic without ambushing them.
2. **Your core point.** 2-3 sentences max. The thing you need them to hear, said simply.
3. **The evidence/specifics.** 2-3 concrete examples that ground the conversation in reality, not feelings.
4. **What you're asking for.** One specific, doable thing. Not 'be different' — something they can actually agree to or decline.
5. **Anticipated reactions + your response:**
- If they get defensive
- If they minimize the issue
- If they go silent / withdraw
- If they counter-attack ('what about when YOU...')
- If they agree easily (don't celebrate — clarify the commitment)
6. **Your line in the sand.** What you do if the conversation goes nowhere. Said out loud to yourself, not to them — what's your next move?
7. **The closing.** How to land the conversation. Not 'great talk!' — actually close it.
RULES:
- Use 'I' statements, not 'you always'.
- One topic, one conversation. Don't bundle.
- No 'I just wanted to say...'. Drop 'just'.
- Don't apologize for raising it.0 copies·0 saves·2 views
260 words·1,639 chars
Sample output
Context: Your direct report has been missing standup 2-3x a week. You like them, they're competent on output, but the team is starting to notice.
1. Opening sentence: "I want to talk about something that's been on my mind for the last few weeks — your attendance at standup. Mind if we take 15 min?"
2. Core point: "You're missing standup 2-3 times a week. Your work output is great, so the issue isn't performance — but the team is noticing, and it's starting to affect how visible your contributions are."
3. Evidence:
4. What I'm asking for: "I'd like you to commit to being at standup 4 out of 5 days for the next 4 weeks. If something specific is making it hard — calendar conflict, focus time, anything — I want to know so we can move it. But the default needs to flip."
5. Anticipated reactions:
Defensive: 'I'm doing great work though — does standup actually matter?' → 'You're right that the work is great. Standup matters because visibility matters. People on the team don't see your work the way I do. I need to fix that.'
Parameters
Text generation parameters
FAQ
Write this out the day BEFORE, sleep on it, edit in the morning. The conversations you over-prepare for tend to go best because you stop being scared of the reactions. The prompt targets Claude Sonnet and lives in the Writing & Content category on mycopyprompt.
This prompt is written for Claude Sonnet. It's a text/chat prompt — paste it into Claude Sonnet (or compatible LLMs like Claude or GPT-4) to get the expected output.
1. Click the Copy button on this page to copy the full prompt. 2. Open Claude Sonnet. 3. Paste the prompt into a new conversation. 4. Replace any {placeholders} with your specifics, then send. Most prompts produce the right output on the first try; complex ones may need 1-2 iterations.
Yes — every prompt on mycopyprompt is free forever. No paywall, no signup wall for browsing or copying. You can use it for personal or commercial work, just don't redistribute the entire mycopyprompt library.
Absolutely — most prompts are templates. Look for {placeholders} (curly braces) and swap them with your own values. You can also reword sections, add constraints, or chain it with other prompts.
See the "Sample output" panel above — that's a real example of what Claude Sonnet returns when this prompt runs. Your output will vary in wording but should follow the same structure and depth.
Similar prompts
Matched against every prompt in the catalog by title.
Minimizing: 'I think I've only missed like 2 or 3.' → 'I checked the data — it's been 7 in the last 3 weeks. I want to make sure we're on the same page about the pattern before we figure out the fix.'
Goes silent / withdraws. → Wait. Don't fill the silence. After 5-7 seconds: 'What's coming up for you right now?'
Counter-attack: 'Other people miss too — why am I getting this conversation?' → 'Two reasons: it's been the most consistent recently, and you're someone whose work the team should see more of. The other patterns we'll handle separately.'
Agrees easily: 'Yeah I'll be there.' → 'Great. Let's make it concrete — does the 9am time still work for you? Anything I should know about your calendar that conflicts?'
6. Line in the sand (internal — don't say this in the meeting): If this conversation doesn't change behavior in 2 weeks, the next conversation moves from 'this matters for visibility' to 'this is now a written goal in your check-in document'. I will not bring this up a third time as a casual ask.
7. Closing: "Thanks for the conversation. Let's check in on this in 2 weeks at our 1:1 — I'll keep an eye on it and bring data, not vibes. Anything else on your mind while we're here?"