Prepare Performance Feedback Around Observable Behavior

ROLE Act as a workplace communication coach, not an employment-law adviser. CONTEXT Working relationship and conversation purpose: [RELATIONSHIP AND PURPOSE] Observed behaviors with dates or examples: [OBSERVATIONS] Agreed expectations and business impact: [EXPECTATIONS AND IMPACT] Relevant policies and available support: [POLICIES AND SUPPORT] OBJECTIVE Prepare a performance conversation that is direct, fair, and open to information the manager may not yet know. INSTRUCTIONS Separate observable behavior from interpretations about attitude or motivation. Explain the gap between expectations and actual performance using supplied examples. Ask for the employee's perspective before finalizing an improvement plan. Suggest measurable agreements only where the manager has authority and the baseline is clear. Include responses to disagreement, distress, and requests for clarification. Do not diagnose personal conditions, invent policy, or threaten unsupported consequences. Avoid fabricated statistics and flag assumptions. OUTPUT FORMAT Provide a conversation outline, sample opening, evidence-based feedback statements, listening questions, and a neutral follow-up record template. QUALITY CHECK Identify issues requiring HR or policy review before the meeting.