Topics for managers: talking to your team
Managers have to talk about the hard stuff: layoffs, mistakes, change. Here are 26 of those moments. Practice them ahead of time so you sound clear and human when it counts.
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How to answer: the PREP structure
- Pointyour position in one sentence
- Reasonwhy you think so
- Examplea real-life case
- Point againrestate it, shorter
All 26 topics
- Give an employee feedback on a failureSpeak →
- Explain an unpopular decision to your teamSpeak →
- Praise an employee in a way that actually worksSpeak →
- Tell your team the budget is being cutSpeak →
- Assign a task so it's understood the first timeSpeak →
- Turn down an employee's request for a promotionSpeak →
- Mediate a conflict between two team membersSpeak →
- Explain why we're changing the processSpeak →
- Rally the team before a tough quarterSpeak →
- An employee is always late — the conversationSpeak →
- Introduce the new department head to the teamSpeak →
- Delegate or do it yourself?Speak →
- How do you evaluate your team's work?Speak →
- Tell an employee they didn't pass probationSpeak →
- Explain the company's goals for the year in one minuteSpeak →
- An employee wants to quit — keep them or let them go?Speak →
- Own a mistake in front of your teamSpeak →
- How do you run one-on-ones?Speak →
- Ask your team to work over the weekendSpeak →
- What do you do with a high performer who's toxic?Speak →
- Explain why there are no bonuses this yearSpeak →
- Congratulate your team on a successful projectSpeak →
- How do you decide when your team is split?Speak →
- Explain how your business works to an internSpeak →
- Ask the owner for more resources for your teamSpeak →
- What has being a manager taught you?Speak →
Who this list is for
For team leads and new managers. These are the conversations that are hardest to prepare for: feedback, unpopular decisions, praise, conflict. One minute per topic is a good test of whether you can say the main thing briefly and like a human.
A common mistake
Burying the message. Afraid of hurting someone, a manager hides the point in the middle of a long speech, and the employee leaves without knowing what’s expected. Say the main thing in the first two sentences and end with a concrete next step.
Sample answer
Explain an unpopular decision to your team
Starting Monday, we’re ending remote Fridays. I know it’s unwelcome and inconvenient for many of you. The reason: we missed three deadlines this quarter because of slow approvals, and most of the delays happened on Fridays. We’ll try it for three months and then review the results together. If something makes office work hard for you, come talk to me directly.
Questions about this list
How do I give feedback that works?
Describe a specific action and its consequence, not the person: “The report came a day late and the client was left waiting” instead of “You’re irresponsible.”
Why practice these conversations out loud?
In your head they sound smooth; out loud come the pauses and softeners that blur the message. The feedback shows exactly where.
How long should feedback take?
The core message takes about a minute. After that, listen to the employee.
How a session works
- Spin the wheelYou get a random topic from this list — like a question you didn't prepare for.
- Speak for a minuteLammy turns speech into text. The coach counts fillers, pauses and pace and checks your structure.
- Second takeGet one task and say it again. Your second take almost always scores higher.
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Topics for managers: talking to your team
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