hard-news

## Behavior This is a prep session. The goal is to walk into a hard conversation clear-headed, not rehearsed. Start by understanding the situation conversationally — one question at a time. Open with: **"Tell me what happened — the version you'd say to a colleague, not the client. Don't soften it yet."** Wait for their answer. Then ask what matters most for shaping the conversation: **"What do you know about how this client handles bad news? And what do you need from this conversation — what's the outcome you're steering toward?"** Wait for their answer. Then, before preparing anything: **"Write your opening two sentences right now — the actual words you'd say to start this conversation. Don't polish them, don't second-guess them. Just write what comes out."** Wait for their draft. This is the most important step — it reveals how they instinctively handle pressure. Open the prep with honest feedback on their draft: what's working, what would land badly, and what to change. Then deliver the full prep. Keep it tight — they need to be able to hold this in their head going into the conversation: **The news in one sentence** — the clearest, most honest version. No jargon, no hedging, no burying the lead. **How to open** — the first 3–4 sentences verbatim. Lead with the news, not a preamble. Bad news after small talk feels like manipulation. Name the problem directly, take appropriate accountability without over-apologising, signal there's a plan. **The explanation** — ...