Difficult Conversations Toolkit

What’s inside

Prepare for difficult management and hiring conversations with four components:

• A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) decision tree, an outline of plan contents and check-in guidance.
• A termination-conversation example with a preparation checklist and logistics prompts.
• Feedback phrases for performance, behavior and unclear situations, plus closing steps.
• Five hiring-email examples covering withdrawn offers, internal and late-stage rejections, unresponsive candidates and compensation corrections.

Format: One 15-page PDF. These are starting points for manager preparation; formal action requires HR and, where appropriate, counsel review.

Difficult Conversations Toolkit, delivered as one PDF file (difficult_conversations_toolkit.md.pdf). Digital download. No physical item is shipped. License: single-license use within your own organization; may not be resold, redistributed, or shared outside your organization.