Lesson 228 · 3 min
Preparing for a hard conversation
Use AI to plan your opening line, guess the other person's view and rehearse their reactions before a difficult talk.
Telling a client about a delay, giving bad news to your team or raising a problem with your boss: these conversations go better when you have thought them through.
AI helps in three ways. It can help you write a calm, clear opening that gets to the point. It can help you think about the other person's view and what they might be worried about. And it can play the other person so you can practise.
Ask it to react in different ways: angry, silent, defensive. Practising your reply to each makes you calmer in the real talk.
The real conversation will not follow the script. The point of practice is to know your main message, your facts and what you can offer, so you stay steady whatever happens.
Do it now
Rehearse one reaction
- 1. Describe a hard conversation you need to have, without real names.
- 2. Run the prompt below and practise two or three rounds.
- 3. Write your main message on a small card for the real talk.
I need to have a hard conversation. Situation: [DESCRIBE]. My main message: [MESSAGE]. What I can offer: [OPTIONS]. 1) Help me write a calm opening of 2 to 3 sentences. 2) Describe how the other person might see this. 3) Then play the other person, reacting [ANGRILY / DEFENSIVELY]. Wait for my reply each time, and after 3 rounds give me feedback.
Quick check
Keep going
Next →Writing a presentation scriptWords from this lesson
- Role prompting
- Starting a prompt by telling the AI who to act as, such as an experienced editor, to shape tone and focus.