The Hard Feedback
Career conversations · Honesty
Sam has been on the team for eighteen months. They believe they're tracking toward promotion. You don't see it — their work is at level, not above it, and recent peer feedback has flagged collaboration concerns. The next career conversation is on Friday. They will ask the question directly.
What Stays Human
AI can structure the message so it's clear and fair. It cannot decide whether to tell Sam in the first three minutes or wait. It cannot reach across the table when their face falls. Honesty is the input — care is what you bring.
Your Decision
What will you actually do? Write the opening sentence, the framework you're leaning on, and why.
Reflection
Where did you soften the message in a way that would have left Sam confused? What's the truest sentence you didn't quite say?
Decision-support frameworks in play
Radical Candor
Care personally · Challenge directly
Used when feedback is hard and the relationship matters. Warmth and honesty held together.
SBI
Situation · Behavior · Impact
A direct, objective feedback structure. Anchor on the moment, describe the observable action, name the impact.
GROW
Goal · Reality · Options · Will
A coaching sequence that helps the other person discover their own next step.
Prompt Library
Click any prompt in the chat to send it to the coach.