Write a Performance Conversation Script
Prepare for a tough conversation with an underperforming team member. Structured, fair, and aligned with UK employment law.
The prompt
I need to have a difficult conversation with an employee about a performance issue. I'm a [your role] at a UK business with [number] employees. The situation: - Employee's role: [job title] - The issue: [e.g. "Consistently missing deadlines on client work - 4 missed deadlines in the last 6 weeks"] - Impact: [e.g. "Clients are complaining, team is picking up the slack, we've nearly lost one account"] - Previous conversations: [e.g. "Mentioned it informally twice, no formal process yet"] - Any context I should consider: [e.g. "They've been going through a difficult time personally" or "This is a new issue - they were strong for the first year"] Write a conversation script that includes: 1. **Opening** - How to start without putting them on the defensive 2. **Stating the issue** - Specific, factual, not emotional 3. **Listening** - Questions to understand their perspective 4. **Agreeing next steps** - Specific, measurable, time-bound expectations 5. **Support offered** - What help I can provide 6. **Documenting it** - What to write down after the meeting (for HR/legal purposes) Keep it aligned with UK employment law best practice (informal stage before formal). Tone: direct but compassionate. The goal is to fix the problem, not punish the person.
What you get back
- A six-part conversation script: opening, stating the issue, listening, agreeing next steps, support, and what to document afterwards
- Aligned with UK employment law best practice (informal stage before formal)
- Direct but compassionate tone, calibrated to the personal context you supply
How to use it
Be specific about the issue, the impact, and any informal conversations already had. Mention personal context that should soften (or sharpen) the tone.