Complete Conversation Kit Library

Managing Performance with Clarity and Confidence

Use this when:
Setting expectations, addressing underperformance, delivering performance reviews, or managing probation periods.

4 guides + Practice & Mastery Guide:

1. Communicating Performance Expectations
   Use when starting new roles, projects, or pieces of work — or when rework indicates people are unclear on the expected standard.
   
2. Tackling Poor Performance
   Use at the first signs of underperformance, or when issues continue despite previous reminders or feedback.
   
3. Delivering Performance Review Outcomes
   Use during formal review cycles to clearly communicate performance ratings, outcomes, and next steps.
   
4. Managing Performance During Probation
   Use throughout probation periods to clarify expectations, track progress, and confirm role fit.
   

Give Feedback That Strengthens Performance and Builds Trust

Use this when:
Giving feedback on work quality, recognising achievements, addressing mistakes, or when feedback hasn't landed.

6 guides + Practice & Mastery Guide:

1. Feedback That Lands
   Use after a miss, after a win, or when feedback has been avoided.
   
2. Positive Feedback To Recognise Good Work
   Use when someone embodies your values or delivers great work.
   
3. Unsuccessful Internal Application
   Use when delivering rejection after an internal application.
   
4. Addressing a Specific Mistake
   Use after an error or dropped ball that needs addressing.
5. When Feedback Doesn't Land
   Use when initial feedback was ignored and a firmer conversation is needed.
6. Feedback and Encouraging a Growth Mindset
   Use when someone has a fixed mindset or needs help seeing they can learn and grow.

Talk About Wellbeing with Care, Clarity, and Confidence

Use this when:
Checking in on wellbeing, responding to burnout signs, supporting health disclosures, or managing return to work.

4 guides + Practice & Mastery Guide:

1. Wellbeing Check-in
   Use in regular 1:1s, after high-pressure periods, or when someone doesn't seem themself.
   
2. Responding to Signs of Burnout
   Use when signs of exhaustion, cynicism, or reduced effectiveness appear.
   
3. Responding to Serious Health Disclosure
   Use when someone shares a serious health condition or mental health concern.
   
4. Return to Work After Leave
   Use when someone is returning from extended leave and you need to reset expectations and support
   

Address Conflict and Poor Behaviour with Courage and Clarity

Use this when:
Addressing team conflict, calling out unprofessional behaviour, tackling gossip, or responding to exclusion or bias.

4 guides + Practice & Mastery Guide:

1. When Team Dynamics Turn Difficult
   Use when friction is persistent or multi-factor tension exists.
   
2. Addressing Unprofessional Behaviour
   Use when behaviour crosses the line (tone, language, treatment of others).
   
3. Addressing Gossip and Negativity
   Use when gossip is spreading or negativity is affecting the team.
   
4. Addressing Exclusion and Bias
   Use when exclusionary behaviour appears or bias shows up in decisions or language.
   

Turn Career Conversations into Practical Next-Step Plans

Use this when:
Discussing career aspirations, planning growth for high performers, succession planning, or future-proofing careers.

4 guides + Practice & Mastery Guide:

1. Career Development
   Use during regular 1:1s and reviews when discussing aspirations.
   
2. Career Growth for High Performers
   Use when a high performer needs visible stretch and clarity on what's next.
   
3. Succession & Readiness
   Use when planning for leadership pipeline or identifying high potentials.
   
4. Future-Proofing Careers
   Use when scanning trends, reskilling, or aligning growth to future priorities.

Turn Everyday Behaviour into the Culture You Want.

Use this when:
Reinforcing values, setting team norms, rebuilding trust, or recognising culture-building moments.

4 guides + Practice & Mastery Guide:

1. Living the Values
   Use when someone makes a decision that reflects your values or during onboarding.
   
2. Team Norms
   Use when someone crosses a boundary or standards aren't being met.
   
3. Rebuilding Trust
   Use when trust has been broken through poor decisions or lack of transparency.
   
4. Recognition That Reinforces Culture
   Use when someone demonstrates a value or behaviour you want to see more of.

Build Leadership Skills Through Everyday Coaching Moments

Use this when:
Shifting from transactional to developmental 1:1s, coaching in the moment, building self-awareness, or making people feel valued.

5 guides + Practice & Mastery Guide:

1. Development Check-In
   Use when regular 1:1s feel transactional and you want to shift to development.
   
2. Coaching in the Moment
   Use when someone asks for answers and you want to develop capability, not just solve problems.
   
3. Building Self-Awareness
   Use when someone has blind spots or lacks awareness of their impact.
   
4. Developmental Feedback on Blind Spots
   Use when someone repeatedly misses social cues or doesn't see their impact.
5. Making People Feel They Matter
   Use when someone feels invisible, undervalued, or like their contribution doesn't count.

Handle Employee Milestones with Clarity, Care, and Consistency

Use this when:
Onboarding new starters, managing probation, conducting retention or exit conversations, or offboarding with dignity.

5 guides + Practice & Mastery Guide:

1. Onboarding That Sets the Tone
   Use during someone's first 90 days to set them up for success.
   
2. Probation Check-In
   Use during probation periods to confirm fit and progress.
   
3. Retention Conversations
   Use when someone hands in notice and you want to understand why.
   
4. Exit Interviews
   Use when someone is leaving and you want to learn from their experience.
5. Offboarding With Dignity
   Use when someone is leaving (resigned, retired, or role ending).

Balance Flexibility and Fairness with Clear, Practical Conversations

Use this when:
Responding to flexible work requests, setting expectations, addressing arrangements that aren't working, or managing workload-flexibility tensions.

5 guides + Practice & Mastery Guide:

1. Responding to Flexible Work Requests
   Use when someone requests flexible hours, remote work, or non-standard arrangements.
   
2. Setting Expectations for Flexible Work
   Use when agreeing new flexible arrangements or clarifying expectations.
   
3. When Flexibility Isn't Working
   Use when an existing arrangement is creating issues for the team, customer or individual.
   
4. Saying No to a Flexibility Request
   Use when you need to decline or modify a request and manage perceptions around fairness.
5. When Workload Doesn't Fit the Flexibility
   Use when workload, role design or peak periods clash with agreed flexible arrangements.

Evidence-based frameworks and worksheets designed to support every conversation, ready to use immediately. Worksheets are editable so you can add your own responses.

3 Conversation Frameworks (REAL, CLAIM, SBIN)

REAL Framework

Description: A four-stage conversation structure (Recognise, Explore, Action, Lock-in) that keeps any conversation clear, curious, and connected without losing the human element.

When to use: For uncomfortable or high-stakes conversations across performance, wellbeing, and relationships where you need clarity without being harsh.

Reference: Original design by Jess Peoples at Peoples Perspective, unique to Conversation Kits.

CLAIM Framework

Description: A five-stage career development framework (Clarity, Landscape, Action, Integrate, Momentum) that bridges aspiration and action through experimentation and regular check-ins.

When to use: For career conversations that help people clarify their strengths and interests, explore opportunities, test ideas through small experiments, and build sustainable development momentum.

Reference: Original design by Jess Peoples at Peoples Perspective, unique to Conversation Kits.

SBIN Framework

Description: A four-stage feedback framework (Situation, Behaviour, Impact, Next) that gives clear, behaviour-based feedback by separating what happened from its impact, then co-creating next steps.

When to use: When giving specific feedback about a clear incident or repeated pattern, especially for performance or behaviour issues that may link to formal processes.

Reference: Adapted from the Centre for Creative Leadership's SBI framework.

2 Editable Worksheets

1. Conversation Preparation and Reflection Worksheet
2. Action Planning Worksheet

1. Self-Coaching When Conversations Feel Overwhelming
   Evidence-based pause-reflect-choose framework you can use immediately when emotions run high. Apply the reflection prompts before, during, or after any conversation across any industry.
   
2. Responding to Avoidance and Defensiveness
   Research-backed Drama Triangle framework with practical phrases and questions ready to use when someone becomes defensive or withdrawn.
   
3. Managing Discomfort in Conversations
   Two evidence-based questions and practical techniques to help you stay clear and grounded, ready to apply in any workplace setting.

1. Conversation Best Practice
   Three evidence-based principles (coaching and listening, observable behaviours, looping) with ready-to-use phrases that work across any conversation type or industry.
   
2. Care and Accountability
   Research-backed framework showing how to combine care with clear expectations, with a practical pattern and examples ready to adapt to your context.
   
3. Assumptions and Bias
   Evidence-based Ladder of Inference tool with a five-step process you can apply immediately to check your thinking in any workplace scenario.
   
4. Observable Behaviours Reference
   Comprehensive, ready-to-use reference table with factual language alternatives and practical SBIN examples applicable across all industries and roles.
5. Curiosity and Coaching with GROW
   Research-backed GROW coaching model with practical questions for each stage, ready to use in any coaching or development conversation.
6. Encouraging a Growth Mindset
   Evidence-based growth mindset framework with practical tools to build leadership capability, applicable across any role or sector.

1. Career Conversation Preparation Worksheet
   For team members to complete before meeting with their leader. Helps them clarify their career goals, strengths, interests, and what they want to discuss using the CLAIM framework.
   
2. Development Plan Worksheet
   For team members and leaders to document commitments and next steps during or after a career conversation. Captures development goals, experiments to try, milestones to track, and progress over time.
   
3. The 20-Minute Career Conversation Playbook
   For leaders facilitating a focused career conversation when time is limited. Provides the CLAIM structure with questions and prompts to cover all essential topics in 20 minutes.
   
4. CLAIM Career Conversation Checklist
   A quick-reference guide for leaders to use during any career conversation. Ensures all stages of CLAIM are covered without missing key topics or questions.

1. AI Prompts Guide
   Ready-to-use prompts for safely applying AI to conversation preparation and reflection, working with standard AI tools across any organisation.
   
2. 10 Ways HR Can Use Conversation Kits to Build Leader Capability
   Practical rollout guidance for Conversation Kits, adaptable to any organisation regardless of size or industry.
   
3. How to Use Conversation Kits Guide