Leadership & Management
1:1 agendas, performance reviews, team building, and delegation
Write a 30-60-90 Day Plan for a New Manager
You are an executive onboarding and leadership coach. I have just been appointed as a manager of [TEAM_SIZE] people in [DEPARTMENT] at [COMPANY_TYPE]. I want to create a 30-60-90 day plan that establishes my credibility, builds trust, and sets a clear direction. Design a 30-60-90 day leadership plan covering: the listening and learning priorities in the first 30 days, the early wins and relationship-building goals in days 31–60, the vision-setting and system-building actions in days 61–90, the key questions to ask each team member in week one, and the one mistake new managers most commonly make in their first 90 days.
Run a High-Impact One-on-One Meeting With a Direct Report
Act as a people management and coaching coach. My one-on-one meetings with direct reports currently feel unproductive — they either become status updates or uncomfortable silences. I manage [NUMBER_OF_DIRECTS] direct reports in [WORK_CONTEXT]. Design a high-impact one-on-one framework covering: the ideal structure for a 30-minute weekly one-on-one, the 5 questions that surface what your direct report actually needs, how to shift from status update to coaching conversation, how to handle a direct report who says everything is fine when it clearly is not, and how to use one-on-ones to build long-term trust and career development.
Manage a Consistently Underperforming Team Member
You are a performance management and difficult conversations coach. I have a direct report [EMPLOYEE_NAME] who is consistently underperforming in [SPECIFIC_PERFORMANCE_AREAS] despite [PREVIOUS_INTERVENTIONS]. The impact on the team is [TEAM_IMPACT]. Design a structured performance management approach covering: an honest diagnostic to identify root cause (skill, will, or circumstance), a structured performance improvement conversation script, how to set a formal improvement plan with fair and clear standards, how to document the process appropriately, the legal and HR considerations to be aware of, and how to handle the team's morale while managing this situation.
Have a Difficult Conversation With a Direct Report
You are a difficult conversations and leadership communications coach. I need to have a challenging conversation with [EMPLOYEE_NAME] about [CONVERSATION_TOPIC] (e.g. attitude, missed deadlines, interpersonal conflict, personal hygiene). I have been avoiding this conversation because [AVOIDANCE_REASON]. Write a script for the conversation covering: how to open without triggering defensiveness, how to state the issue clearly using specific evidence, how to give the employee space to respond, how to reach a mutual agreement on the path forward, and how to close in a way that preserves the working relationship.
Manage a Remote or Hybrid Team Effectively
You are a remote and hybrid team management coach. I lead a [TEAM_SIZE]-person [REMOTE_OR_HYBRID] team across [NUMBER_OF_LOCATIONS] locations. My biggest remote management challenges are [REMOTE_CHALLENGES] (e.g. lack of visibility, culture erosion, asynchronous delays, isolation). Design a remote team management system covering: communication norms and tools for async and sync work, how to maintain visibility without micromanaging, virtual team-building practices that actually work, how to onboard new remote team members effectively, and the one leadership behaviour that has the most impact on remote team engagement.
Onboard a New Team Member Effectively
Act as a people management and onboarding design coach. I am onboarding [NEW_HIRE_NAME] as a [NEW_HIRE_ROLE] in my team. My current onboarding is [CURRENT_ONBOARDING_DESCRIPTION] (e.g. unstructured, too information-heavy, no clear milestones). Design a 90-day onboarding plan covering: the pre-arrival preparation checklist, a structured week one schedule, month one learning and relationship goals, a 30-60-90 milestone framework for the new hire, the manager's role in weeks one through twelve, and the one onboarding conversation most managers skip that makes the biggest difference to retention.
Handle a Conflict Between Two Team Members
You are a team conflict resolution and leadership coach. Two members of my team — [PERSON_A] and [PERSON_B] — are in conflict about [CONFLICT_DESCRIPTION]. This is affecting [TEAM_IMPACT]. I want to resolve this fairly and restore a productive working relationship. Design a conflict resolution process covering: how to meet with each person individually before bringing them together, the questions to ask each party to understand their perspective, a structured mediation conversation format, how to reach a durable agreement rather than a surface-level truce, and how to monitor the relationship going forward without micromanaging.
Develop a High-Potential Team Member Into a Future Leader
Act as a talent development and leadership pipeline coach. I have a high-potential team member [EMPLOYEE_NAME] who is a [CURRENT_ROLE] and has the potential to become [TARGET_FUTURE_ROLE]. Their key strengths are [KEY_STRENGTHS] and development areas are [DEVELOPMENT_AREAS]. Design a 12-month leadership development plan covering: the stretch assignments that will accelerate growth, the mentoring and sponsorship support to provide, the conversations to have quarterly, how to give developmental feedback that builds without deflating, and how to advocate for this person's progression with senior leadership.
Manage a Team Through Organisational Change
Act as a change management and leadership communications coach. My team of [TEAM_SIZE] is going through [CHANGE_DESCRIPTION] (e.g. restructure, redundancies, new leadership, system change). The team's emotional state is [TEAM_EMOTIONAL_STATE]. I need to lead them through this change while maintaining performance. Design a change leadership approach covering: how to communicate the change with honesty and empathy, how to address the team's fears without making promises I cannot keep, how to maintain motivation during uncertainty, the signs of change fatigue to watch for, and the weekly leadership actions to take during the transition period.
Give a Difficult Performance Rating in a Review Conversation
Act as a performance management communication coach. I need to deliver a performance rating of [RATING] to [EMPLOYEE_NAME] who is expecting [EXPECTED_RATING]. This gap will likely cause [ANTICIPATED_REACTION]. Script the performance review conversation covering: how to open the conversation and set a constructive tone, how to deliver the rating clearly without softening it to the point of confusion, how to explain the evidence and reasoning, how to give the employee space to respond to a difficult reaction, how to close with a forward-looking development plan, and how to handle an appeal or escalation request.
Make the Transition From Individual Contributor to Manager
You are a new manager transition and identity coaching specialist. I have just been promoted from [PREVIOUS_ROLE] to managing a team of [TEAM_SIZE] for the first time. I am struggling with [TRANSITION_CHALLENGE] (e.g. letting go of doing the work, earning respect from former peers, shifting my identity from expert to enabler). Design a first-time manager transition guide covering: the mindset shift required from individual contributor to multiplier, the 3 hardest letting-go moments and how to handle them, how to earn authority without relying on title, the first-time manager mistakes most likely to damage team trust, and a 90-day identity and skill development plan.
Manage Up Effectively to Your Own Manager
Act as a managing-up and professional influence coach. I want to build a stronger and more strategic relationship with my manager [MANAGER_NAME] who is a [MANAGER_STYLE] leader. My biggest challenge in managing up is [MANAGING_UP_CHALLENGE] (e.g. not getting visibility, being overlooked for decisions, misaligned priorities). Design a managing-up strategy covering: how to understand and align with your manager's priorities and pressures, the right frequency and format for proactive communication, how to present problems with solutions, how to ask for what you need without appearing demanding, and how to recover from a damaged manager relationship.
Lead a Diverse and Inclusive Team
Act as a diversity, equity, inclusion, and leadership coaching specialist. I lead a team that is diverse in [DIVERSITY_DIMENSIONS] (e.g. nationality, generation, neurodiversity, background). I want to lead in a way that genuinely includes and unlocks the full potential of this diversity. Design an inclusive leadership practice covering: how to audit my own blind spots and biases as a leader, specific meeting and decision-making practices that create equitable participation, how to adapt my communication style for different team members without lowering standards, how to handle microaggressions or exclusionary behaviour in the team, and how to measure whether my team actually feels included.
Handle Being Passed Over for a Promotion
Act as a career resilience and professional navigation coach. I was passed over for a promotion to [TARGET_ROLE] in favour of [COMPETITOR_DESCRIPTION]. I feel [EMOTIONAL_REACTION] and am considering [NEXT_OPTIONS] (e.g. staying, leaving, escalating). Help me: process this setback constructively without burning bridges, have a productive conversation with my manager to understand the real reasons, decide whether to stay and build toward the next opportunity or move on, design a 90-day plan to either accelerate my promotion readiness or manage a dignified exit, and identify the one question that will tell me whether staying is genuinely worth it.
Coach a Direct Report Using the GROW Model
You are a manager-as-coach and GROW model specialist. I want to have a coaching conversation with my direct report [EMPLOYEE_NAME] who is facing [COACHING_CHALLENGE] (e.g. a stuck project, a development goal, an interpersonal issue). I want to use the GROW model rather than just giving advice. Write a complete coaching conversation guide covering: specific questions for each GROW stage (Goal, Reality, Options, Will), how to resist the urge to jump straight to advice-giving, how to handle a coachee who keeps asking what you think they should do, how to close the conversation with a specific committed action, and how to follow up in the next one-on-one to maintain momentum.
Manage a Toxic High Performer on Your Team
You are a people management and team culture coach. I have a team member [EMPLOYEE_NAME] who delivers exceptional results — [PERFORMANCE_DESCRIPTION] — but whose behaviour is [TOXIC_BEHAVIOURS] (e.g. undermining colleagues, creating a culture of fear, taking credit for others' work). The team impact is [TEAM_IMPACT]. Design a management approach covering: how to have the performance-plus-behaviour conversation clearly and without ambiguity, how to set and enforce behavioural standards as a non-negotiable, how to weigh the talent versus culture cost, how to protect other team members during this process, and the decision framework for when the behaviour crosses the line into action.
Conduct a Mid-Year Talent Review for Your Team
You are a talent management and people strategy coach. I need to conduct a mid-year talent review for my team of [TEAM_SIZE]. I want to assess each team member's performance and potential fairly and use this to inform development conversations and succession planning. Design a talent review process covering: the performance and potential assessment framework (e.g. 9-box grid), the evidence to gather before the review, how to calibrate my assessments to avoid personal bias, the development action for each talent category, how to have the talent review conversation with each individual, and how to use the outputs to inform my team's development plan for the second half of the year.
Manage a Team Member Who Is Thinking of Leaving
You are a talent retention and leadership coaching specialist. I suspect that [EMPLOYEE_NAME] who is a [EMPLOYEE_ROLE] is considering leaving. The signals I have noticed are [LEAVING_SIGNALS] (e.g. disengagement, job-hunting activity, changed behaviour). They are a high-value team member. Design a retention approach covering: how to open a stay conversation without making the employee feel surveilled, the questions to ask to understand their real motivations for leaving, what I can realistically offer versus what I cannot, how to make a compelling case for staying without making hollow promises, and how to manage my own reaction if they decide to leave anyway.
Lead With Empathy Without Losing Accountability
Act as a compassionate leadership and performance coach. I want to be a more empathetic leader — my team has told me I can seem cold or transactional — but I am concerned that showing more empathy will undermine my ability to hold people accountable for results. Design an empathetic accountability leadership approach covering: what empathetic leadership actually looks like in daily management behaviour, how to show genuine care without lowering performance standards, how to have an empathetic but direct conversation about underperformance, how to distinguish between empathy and excuse-making, and the 3 leadership phrases that signal empathy and accountability simultaneously.
Manage a Team During a Leadership Transition
You are a leadership transition management and change coach. My team of [TEAM_SIZE] is going through a leadership change — [TRANSITION_DESCRIPTION] (e.g. I am a new incoming leader, the previous leader left suddenly, we are merging two teams under new leadership). The team's current state is [TEAM_CURRENT_STATE]. Design a leadership transition management plan covering: the first conversations to have with the team, how to earn trust quickly without faking continuity you do not have, how to assess the team's real dynamics and unspoken concerns, how to communicate your leadership approach without over-promising, and the 90-day actions that set the tone for the entire tenure.
Manage a Wellbeing Crisis in Your Team
Act as a team wellbeing and sensitive management coach. A team member [EMPLOYEE_NAME] is going through [PERSONAL_CHALLENGE] (e.g. bereavement, mental health crisis, serious illness, domestic issue) and it is visibly affecting their work. I want to support them appropriately as their manager. Design a supportive management approach covering: how to open a sensitive wellbeing conversation without prying, what I can and cannot ask about as a manager, what support the organisation should offer (Employee Assistance Programme, flexible working, reduced load), how to manage their workload fairly for the team without stigmatising the individual, and when to involve HR.
Run an Effective Skip-Level Meeting
You are a senior leadership communication and feedback coach. I want to run skip-level meetings with the team members who report to my direct reports. I want genuine insight into how the team is experiencing the organisation — not managed answers. Design a skip-level meeting guide covering: how to open the conversation so people feel genuinely safe to be honest, the 5 questions that surface the most actionable insight, how to handle feedback that implicates my direct reports, how to feed back themes to my direct reports without betraying individual confidences, and the frequency and format that keeps skip-levels useful without becoming threatening.
Lead a Team Affected by Redundancies You Did Not Make
Act as a leadership communications and team resilience coach. My organisation has announced redundancies that I did not decide and do not fully agree with. My team of [TEAM_SIZE] is affected — [IMPACT_DESCRIPTION] (e.g. 2 roles are being cut, uncertainty about future cuts). I need to lead with integrity while maintaining loyalty to the organisation. Design a leadership approach covering: how to communicate organisational decisions you did not make but must support, how to be honest about what you know and do not know, how to support affected team members without making commitments you cannot keep, how to maintain team performance during uncertainty, and how to process your own feelings about the decision before leading the team through it.
Create a Manager Onboarding Guide for Your Team
Act as a leadership transition and new manager integration coach. I want to create a 'How to Work With Me' guide to share with my team and new direct reports. This will help people understand my working style, expectations, and communication preferences. I am a [MANAGEMENT_STYLE_DESCRIPTION] leader and my most important working principles are [WORKING_PRINCIPLES]. Write a 'How to Work With Me' guide covering: my communication preferences, how I make and expect decisions, my feedback style, what I need from my team to do my best work, what they can expect from me, and one honest thing about my style that can be challenging — and how I am working on it.
Design a Team Learning and Development Budget Plan
You are a team learning and development planning coach. I have a [L&D_BUDGET] budget for my team of [TEAM_SIZE] for the next [BUDGET_PERIOD] and I want to invest it for maximum impact. The team's key skill gaps are [SKILL_GAPS] and the business priorities we need to support are [BUSINESS_PRIORITIES]. Design an L&D budget allocation plan covering: how to prioritise investment across team members, the mix of learning formats (courses, coaching, conferences, on-the-job), how to make the case to senior leaders for additional budget if needed, how to track learning ROI, and the one L&D investment that most consistently pays back for teams like mine.
Set Meaningful Goals With a Disengaged Team Member
You are a re-engagement and performance coaching specialist. I have a team member [EMPLOYEE_NAME] who is [DISENGAGEMENT_DESCRIPTION] (e.g. going through the motions, resistant to new goals, checked out since a disappointment). I want to re-engage them through a meaningful goal-setting conversation. Design a re-engagement goal-setting approach covering: the diagnostic conversation to understand what has caused the disengagement, how to connect new goals to things the employee genuinely cares about, how to rebuild their sense of agency and ownership, the minimum viable re-engagement commitment to ask for in the first conversation, and how to rebuild momentum through small visible wins.
Lead an Intergenerational Team Effectively
You are an intergenerational team leadership coach. My team includes members from [GENERATIONS_REPRESENTED] (e.g. Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z) and there are tensions around [GENERATIONAL_TENSIONS] (e.g. communication preferences, work-life balance expectations, technology adoption, career ambition styles). Design an intergenerational leadership approach covering: the genuine differences (not stereotypes) to be aware of, how to flex your communication and management style by generation, how to harness the different strengths of each generation, how to manage conflict that has a generational dimension, and the team practice that most effectively bridges generational divides.